China

16 dead in attack against police station

Article published on the 2008-08-04 Latest update 2008-08-04 10:54 TU

Xinjiang province
(Map: RFI)

Sixteen policemen were killed and 16 others wounded in what Chinese state media is calling a terrorist attack in the northeast Xinjiang region, only days before the opening of the Olympic Games.

The attack reported by the Xinhua news agency remains unconfirmed. Chinese state media said that the attack occurred Monday morning at 8 am local time. Two men drove a truck into a group of policemen, crashed into a utility pole, then got out of the vehicle and began throwing makeshift bombs into a nearby police station. Finally, the men are reported to have used knives on injured survivors.

The Xinhua region, close to the Tajikistani border, is a majority-Muslim area, and home to the Turkic-speaking Uighur people. The Sweden-based World Uighur Congress told the French news agency AFP that their local sources confirmed the attack, but could not confirm if it was carried out by Uighurs.

The Chinese government has been claiming that the Uighurs were planning to stage attacks during the Olympic Games. It has also speculated that Tibetan independence groups and the banned Falungong spiritual group pose threats during the games. Rights groups and Uighur representatives have responded that the terrorist threat is being exaggerated in order to crack down on all forms of dissent.

Xinjiang has 8.3 million Muslim Uighur people, and many allege that Beijing has imposed an oppressive rule over their minority.