Islamabad, Nov 12 (AFP): Violent incidents broke out in the Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif over the weekend, with reports of lootings, kidnappings, roving gunmen and summary executions, UN spokeswomen said today.

Lindsey Davis, spokeswoman for the United Nation's World Food Programme (WFP), said the situation in the northern city - captured by opposition forces on Friday - was "volatile" but did not say who was responsible for the trouble.

"We have reports of looting, abductions of civilians from the city, uncontrolled freelance gunmen," she told reporters here, adding that "some street battles are ongoing."

A WFP warehouse in Mazar-e-Sharif was looted of 89 tonnes of food aid, she said, without giving any details.

Stephanie Bunker, a spokeswoman for the office of the UN coordinator, added that "other unconfirmed reports speak of incidents of violence and summary executions."

"We don't know the scale and we don't know the details."

Commanders of the opposition Northern Alliance said they had ordered most of their men out of Mazar-i-Sharif with the idea of leaving it in the hands of a 300-strong security force.

Meanwhile, Russia could next year reopen its consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif, which the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance captured last week, Interfax news agency reported today, quoting diplomatic sources.

"If everything goes well, the Russian consulate general in Mazar-i-Sharif may open in early 2002," the sources said.

The consulate was evacuated in August 1992, after the fall of Afghan President Najibullah's pro-Soviet government.