Despite Threat Of Taliban, Pakistani Girls In Swat Valley Attend Class

In this Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012 photo, A Pakistani student teaches her fellow students in Mingora, Swat Valley, Pakistan. The Taliban’s horrific attack on a female teenage activist in this scenic corner of Pakistan’s northwest was the latest in a series of assassination attempts by militant sleeper cells in the area over the last year. The insurgents activated their networks in the Swat Valley to take advantage of the army’s decision to reduce its presence, raising questions about the military’s ability to hand over control to civilian authorities in areas where it has fought the Taliban, a fundamental part of its counterterror strategy.

In this Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012 photo, Pakistani girls attend class in Mingora, capital of Pakistan’s Swat Valley. <AP Photo/B.K. Bangash>