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Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Pakistanis hold candles during a protest to condemn the attack on of 14-year-old schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai, who was shot on Tuesday by the Taliban for speaking out in support of education for women, in Karachi, Pakistan, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012. (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)

A spokesman for the Taliban's Swat Valley chapter says its leadership decided already two months ago to kill a 14-year-old activist, who was shot and seriously wounded this week, and then sent out a hit squad to carry out the job.

A spokesman, Sirajuddin Ahmad, says Malala Yousufzai was warned three times to stop her activities promoting "Western thinking," but she did not.

He said the last warning was conveyed a week ago.

Ahmad said two of the attackers had expertise in shooting people in the head. The hit squad carefully examined the girl's route from school to her home.

The shooting of the teenage activist who spoke out in support of girls' education and against Taliban atrocities has horrified many in Pakistan and abroad.