A Taliban official in the province disclosed that they were stoned at a sharia court.

“A man and a woman who confessed to having illegal sexual relations have been stoned to death in Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province.

Two local Taliban officials confirmed this on Wednesday.

A Taliban official in the province told dpa that they were stoned at a sharia court.

Muslim men and women are not allowed to have s3xual intercourse outside marriage under sharia law.

It also states that if a married man has s3x with a married woman and there were four witnesses, the couple should be stoned.

“They have confessed that they had illegal relations and they had done this two to three times,” the local official said.

Muezuddin Ahmadi, who is in charge of the province’s information and culture department, said that the issue was under investigation and promised serious action against the perpetrators of the stoning.

The Taliban are fighting for recognition on the international stage after having seized power in August, partly in a bid to access aid funds and money stashed abroad.