Northern Alliance butchers more than 100 Taliban troops

The opposition Northern Alliance summarily executed more than 100 Taliban child soldiers following their capture of Mazar-e-Sharif on Friday night, according to the United Nations.

UN spokesperson Stephanie Bunker said sources in the city claimed that over 100 young Taliban recruits were discovered hiding in a school when the Northern Alliance overran the city. They were all executed at 6pm on Saturday, she said.

The United States and Britain have been helping the Northern Alliance to defeat the Taliban and the United Nations still recognises the Alliance as the legitimate government in Afghanistan.

However, summary executions without trial are against international law and it remains to be seen how Tony Blair and George W Bush, as well as the UN, will respond to the reports coming out of Mazar-e-Sharif.

The Northern Alliance also engaged in mass violations of human rights when it was in power in Kabul from 1992 to 1996. These included deliberate civilian massacres and ethnic cleansing, both of which are war crimes.