Malala Yousafzai, the 14-year-old girl who won Pakistan's first National Peace Prize, was shot and wounded on her return from school Tuesday in Swat Valley. The Pakistani Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack, which has been condemned by the country's president.
The teenager has been the subject of frequent death threats, because she blogs about the Taliban's restrictions on education for women.
A Taliban spokesperson, Insnaullah Ishan, told CNN Yousafzai was targeted for spreading feminist messages.
"She wanted to make our women leave their homes for secular education, something the Taliban will never permit," Ishan said.
Yousafzai was injured when armed militants stopped a van carrying her and other female students home from school. Once the National Prize winner was identified, the men began shooting at her, until the driver sped off. Two other passengers, in addition to Yousafzai, were hit by the shots.
One of the bullets hit Yousafzai's neck, which doctors say will be difficult to remove. She was airlifted from Swat at the request of the Prime Minister to a large hospital in Peshawar. If the 14-year-old survives the attack, which doctors suggest is likely, the Taliban say she won't next time.
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