100 bodies found at Afghan mass grave

AFGHAN authorities say they have discovered a mass grave containing at least 100 bodies, believed to be victims of a Taliban massacre in the 1990s.

Security officials said yesterday the grave was found in the northern province of Balkh, 10 miles from the city of Mazar-i-Sharif. Provincial security official Abdurrauf Taj said about 100 bodies had been found at the site, 100 yards from a residential area. "We expect the number may rise," Taj said.

Residents said they suspected the dead were of the Hazara ethnic minority, slain after the Taliban captured the area in the late 1990s. "These were all innocent people killed by the Taliban," claimed shopkeeper Mohammad Sami.

Provincial security commander Sardar Mohammad Sultani said an investigation had been launched and the bodies would not be moved until a team from Kabul inspected the site.