Pakistani Taliban Shoot young Girl Activist

After the Taliban were ejected from the Swat Valley in the summer of 2009, Ms. Yousufzai, then 13, began speaking out publicly about the militant group and the need for girls' educationPakistani girl shot by the Taliban

Mingora, Oct.10.─ A Taliban gunman walked up to a bus taking children home from school in Pakistan's volatile Swat Valley on Tuesday and shot and wounded a 14-year-old activist known for championing the education of girls and publicizing atrocities committed by the Taliban, officials said.

The attack in the city of Mingora targeted 14-year-old Malala Yousufzai, who is respected for her work to promote the schooling of girls—something the Taliban opposes. She was nominated last year for the International Children's Peace Prize.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, calling Ms. Yousufzai's work "obscenity."

"This was a new chapter of obscenity, and we have to finish this chapter," said Taliban spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan by telephone. "We have carried out this attack."

The school bus was about to leave the school grounds in Mingora when a bearded man approached it and asked which one of the girls was Ms. Yousufzai, said Rasool Shah, the police chief in the town. Another girl pointed to Ms. Yousufzai, and the gunmen then shot both of the girls ...

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