▁cr imes . ▁Upon ▁taking ▁Maz ar - i - Sh ar if ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁about ▁ 4 , 0 0 0 ▁civ ili ans ▁were ▁executed ▁by ▁the ▁Tal ib an ▁and ▁many ▁more ▁reported ▁tort ured . ▁The ▁Tal ib an ▁especially ▁target ed ▁people ▁of ▁Sh ia ▁religious ▁or ▁Haz ara ▁eth nic ▁background . ▁Among ▁those ▁killed ▁in ▁Maz ari ▁Sh ar if ▁were ▁several ▁Iran ian ▁diplom ats . ▁O thers ▁were ▁kid n apped ▁by ▁the ▁Tal ib an , ▁touch ing ▁off ▁a ▁host age ▁crisis ▁that ▁nearly ▁es cal ated ▁to ▁a ▁full - scale ▁war , ▁with ▁ 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Iran ian ▁soldiers ▁mass ed ▁on ▁the ▁Afghan ▁border ▁at ▁one ▁time . ▁It ▁was ▁later ▁admitted ▁that ▁the ▁diplom ats ▁were ▁killed ▁by ▁the ▁Tal ib an , ▁and ▁their ▁bodies ▁were ▁returned ▁to ▁Iran . ▁ ▁The ▁documents ▁also ▁reve al ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁Arab ▁and ▁Pak ist ani ▁support ▁troops ▁in ▁these ▁kill ings . ▁Bin ▁L aden ' s ▁so - called ▁ 0 5 5 ▁Brigade ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁mass - kill ings ▁of ▁Afghan ▁civ ili ans . ▁The ▁report ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁Nations ▁quotes ▁e y ew it ness es ▁in ▁many ▁villages ▁describing ▁Arab ▁f igh ters ▁carrying ▁long ▁kn ives ▁used ▁for ▁sl itting ▁thro ats ▁and ▁skin ning ▁people . ▁ ▁Ro le ▁of ▁the ▁Pak ist ani ▁Ar med ▁Forces ▁ ▁Pakistan '