Afghan Taliban extremists have flogged a woman in public for reportedly going out with her brother-in-law to visit a doctor. The victim was initially thought to have gone out with a stranger, but it later turned out that he was her family member. The man was also flogged, local authorities confirmed, but did not offer details.

The militants said the duo did not respect Islamic values and hence were lashed in public. A video of the brutal incident, which took place in Kohistanat district of Sar-e-Pul province, has also surfaced and is in the possession of Afghanistan's Tolo News. The woman is seen pleading with the militants in the footage.

"Kohistanat is one of the districts which is controlled by the Taliban. We were also informed about the incident and this will not be the first nor the last of such crimes," the provincial governor Mohammad Zahir Wahdat was cited as saying. Rights groups have also condemned the act.

The area was gripped by a similar incident only a few days ago, in which a woman faced public flogging for speaking to a stranger over the telephone.

It is not uncommon to see people being punished for not following "Islamic" codes in rural parts of Afghanistan. The Islamist organisation seeks to fully implement Sharia-compliant rules in the territories it controls.