Girl shot by Taliban leaves British hospital

LONDON -- Three months after she was shot in the head for daring to say girls should be able to get an education, a 15-year-old Pakistani hugged her nurses and smiled as she walked out of a Birmingham hospital.

Malala Yousufzai waved to a guard and smiled as she strode down the hospital corridor talking to nurses in images released Friday by Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.

"She is quite well and happy on returning home -- as we all are," Malala's father, Ziauddin, told The Associated Press.

Malala, who was released Thursday, will live with her parents and brothers in Britain while she continues to receive treatment. She will be admitted again next month for another round of surgery to rebuild her skull.

Experts have been optimistic that Malala, who was airlifted from Pakistan in October to receive specialized medical care, has a good chance of recovery because the brains of teenagers are still growing and can better adapt to trauma.

"Malala is a strong young woman and has worked hard with the people caring for her to make excellent progress in her recovery," said Dr. Dave Rosser, the medical director for University Hospitals Birmingham.

The Taliban targeted Malala because of her relentless objection to the group's interpretation of Islam that limits girls' access to education. She was shot while returning home from school in Pakistan's Swat Valley on Oct. 9.

The teen became a symbol of the struggle for women's rights in Pakistan. In an indication of her reach, she made the short list for Time magazine's "Person of the Year" for 2012.