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The Taliban has said it will attempt to kill Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai again after causing worldwide revulsion by shooting her last year.

The group said it stands by its decision to attempt to kill the 16-year-old because she criticised Islam.

Shahidullah Shahid, a Taliban spokesman, said "She accepted that she attacked Islam so we we tried to kill her, and if we get another chance we will definitely kill her and that will make us feel proud."

As reported by Sky News, he added: "Islam prohibits killing women, but except those that support the infidels in their war against our religion."

News of the death threat came as it emerged Malala is among the favourites to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

(Image: Philip Coburn)

She has also received a Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Award from David Beckham and will meet the Queen at Buckingham Palace later this month.

Malala was shot by a gunman who boarded her school bus in the valley of Swat in northwest Pakistan a year ago.

The teenager had angered the Taliban with her public, outspoken and courageous pleas for girls to be educated.

Speaking to the BBC's Panorama programme she told how girls in the UK should not take their education for granted.

"I want to tell the students of UK to think that it is very precious, it's very prestigious, go to school," she said.

"Reading a book, having a pen in our hands, studying, sitting in a classroom is something very special for us because once we were deprived from it and because what we have seen in Swat".

Don't forget to watch Pride of Britain on ITV tomorrow at 8pm