Gabrielle Giffords: First photos of shot congresswoman

[Gerald]

US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has released the first pictures of herself since she was shot in the head in January.

Two pictures appeared on her Facebook page.

Ms Giffords, 41, was seriously injured during a shooting spree by a gunman in Tucson, Arizona, that killed six people and wounded 13 others.

She is being treated at a clinic in Houston, Texas. Doctors say she has been recovering well.

In an interview with The Arizona Republic published on Thursday, Ms Giffords' Chief of Staff Pia Carusone said she still had only limited speaking ability.

But Ms Carusone told the Associated Press news agency on Saturday that she could be released from the rehabilitation clinic in the coming weeks.

In one of the pictures released on Sunday, Ms Giffords is smiling at the camera.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13742144


Note: 12 June 2011 Last updated at 11:35 GMT