London appalled by Afghan execution

LONDON, July 9 (UPI) -- The British foreign secretary said Monday he was "shocked and disgusted" by reports of the public execution of a woman at the hands of the Afghan Taliban.

A video depicted a group of Taliban firing at close range at a woman allegedly accused of adultery. Villagers in Parwan province, near Kabul, were overheard chanting pro-Taliban slogans after the woman was killed, CBS News reports.

Provincial Gov. Abdul Basir Salangi told CBS News his province, though peaceful until now, has seen the Taliban's influence growing.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague, in a statement Monday, said he was appalled by the report.

"I am shocked and disgusted by reports that an Afghan woman has been publicly executed by the Taliban," he said. "Such deplorable actions underline the vital need for better protection of the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, where they continue to face huge challenges."

Reports of the execution come at a time when the International Afghan Donors Conference meeting in Tokyo pledged Sunday about $16 billion in international assistance over the next four years. Improvement of rights of Afghan women is one of the conditions for the aid.

The U.S. Embassy in Kabul described the execution in Parwan province as "cold-blooded murder."