This shocking picture shows a three-month-old baby with an extra head as she lies at a hospital in the Afghanistan city of Jalalabad.

The photo was taken just before Asree Gul underwent a rare operation to have the second skull removed.

Doctors say the surgery was a success, but it was complicated as vital nerves and blood vessels were linked to the second skull.

The family – farmers in Chaparhar district – approached doctors after Asree Gul’s second skull made it difficult for her to sleep, and led to her being stigmatised in their village.

Asree Gul – which means “new flower” – is one of a set of twins, and doctors believe her unusual condition was caused when a third baby failed to develop in the womb.

“Her mother gave birth to twins, two girls, one girl was in good health but the other has an abnormality. She had an extra head attached to her head,” Dr Ahmad Obaid Mojadidi told AFP.

He added that it was the first successful surgery of its kind in eastern Afghanistan.

“We don’t have very developed equipment,” he said, “but we are very happy to have conducted the operation successfully”.

The generous doctor completed the operation – which would usually cost between £2,500 and £3,700 – for free, as the family could not afford it.