Dozens killed and wounded in a knife attack in Xinjiang

A group of assailants with knives killed and injured dozens of people in Kashgar Prefecture, in the autonomous province of Xinjiang, in northwestern China. Official media has declared the attack as a “terrorist ” act, a concept that is becoming more present in the Chinese media, and particularly affecting the provinces where there is a different majority ethnic majority Han.

According to the state news agency Xinhua, attackers outnumbered the dozens. Monday jumped on the police station of the town Elixku, then they moved to the town Huangdi, attacking civilians and destroying ” more than 30 vehicles.”

The police, again according to Xinhua, struck dozens of members of the band, and emphasized the fact that the shooting ” gang was justified because prevented more civilian casualties, both have as Uighurs.”

Xinjiang area is strictly controlled, preventing access local and foreign press. Dilxat Raxit, a spokesman of an association that represents the original ethnic Uighur – minority area and which is related to the attack, says 13 gunmen were killed in the incident and 67 were arrested.

The province, populated mainly by the Uighur minority, ethnic Turks and practitioners of Islam, has been the site of clashes between the central authorities and Uighur separatists protesting against the establishment of the minority have in its territory and dominion of Beijing.

Beijing for its part, accuses separatists, and more frequently, “terrorists”. The attacks have escalated since 2009, when the confrontation between Han and Uighurs most important, with a balance of 197 dead and thousands injured, occurred mostly have. Only in the last May two bomb attacks that killed 42 people were recorded.

Beijing has announced a comprehensive anti-terrorism campaign effectively announced and made editorial ruling by a heavy police presence. Dozens of Uighurs linked to previous attacks have been arrested, and last June 17, 13 were executed for terrorist crimes.

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Posted by Maleeha Tareen on Jul 31 2014. Filed under World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.