Several killed in police station attack in Chinese province

[Ajaxpaul]

BEIJING: Violent clashes left several people dead after rioters attacked a police station in China's restive province of Xingjian. At least four persons were killed by the rioters while the police gunned down "several rioters" , the official media reported Monday quoting police sources.

The rioters took several people hostage during the attack on the police station in Hotan town in the province. This is the first major case of rioters taking hostages in China's western region bordering Pakistan, which is a major source of Islamic ultras.

A report circulated in unofficial web sites said the police have managed to free six hostages by challenging the rioters, but there has been no official confirmation for this report.

The rioters broke into the police station Monday afternoon, and "assaulted the police, took hostages and set fire to the station." Two hostages, a member of the armed police and a security officer were killed in the attack, while another security official was severely injured, the official Xinhua news agency said. It said the police "shot a number of rioters" while freeing the hostages.

The cause of the clashes is still not known but there are signs the attack on the police station is related to the separatist movement of East Turkmenistan being conduction by a section of the Muslim Uighur population in Xingjian.

The Uighur ultras attacked a police station killing 16 constables and officers in 2008. This was followed by clashes between Uighurs and the majority Han community in July 2009 that left 197 dead. Last August, they detonated an explosive in a group of paramilitary officers resulting in the death of seven persons in the city of Aksu.

Xinhua said the national counterterrorism office has dispatched "a working team" to the region.

Several killed in police station attack in China's restive province bordering Pakistan - The Times of India

 

[hembo]

Rioters gunned down, hostages rescued in Xinjiang police station attack

Try not to give TOI as the source.. Not liked by many here.

 

[Ajaxpaul]

Rioters gunned down, hostages rescued in Xinjiang police station attack

Try not to give TOI as the source.. Not liked by many here.

Xinhua not loading..Are these rioters terrorists? separatists ?

 

[IndoCarib]

Police Station Attacked in China - WSJ.com

 

[American Pakistani]

Lol, how Indian news include name of Pakistan, when several other countries borders that provence.

The rioters took several people hostage during the attack on the police station in Hotan town in the province. This is the first major case of rioters taking hostages in China's western region bordering Pakistan, which is a major source of Islamic ultras.

By the way very sad news for me.

 

[hembo]

Xinhua not loading..Are these rioters terrorists? separatists ?

Most Likely Muslim Uighur rebels.

Following is a Washington post excerpt, it also quotes Chinese official claiming uncertainity:

The precise number of attackers and the number of casualties were not immediately clear

“The thugs began to throw the Molotov cocktails as they rushed into the first floor of the police station, and then they raided the second floor,” said Hou. “The hostages as far as I know are all ordinary people who were doing business in the police station.”

“It’s an organized terrorist attack,” Hou said. She said some of the attackers were still alive, and their identities were “unclear.”

Hou said the authorities would provide more information after the surviving attackers are questioned and the investigation is complete.

Witnesses interviewed by telephone said at nighttime, all the roads leading to Hotan’s grand bazaar remained closed by security forces, and the streets were mostly empty.

This evening, the Chinese government’s censors began blocking the words “Xinjiang,” “Hotan” and “riot” from the search engines of the most popular microblogging sites.

The attack marks one of the most serious eruptions of violence since July 2009 when rioting between Muslim Uighurs and ethnic Han Chinese left nearly 200 people dead and many shops and other businesses burned. Two dozen people were executed for the rioting, and hundreds remain missing, presumably detained, according to human rights groups.

Violent attacks like the one on the police station Thursday are rare in China, but not unheard of. Previous incidents in Xinjiang have mostly involved roadside bombs or assailants detonating vehicle-born devices near police patrols. In August last year, a bomb carried aboard a three-wheeled vehicle exploded in a crowd in Aksu city in Xinjiang, killing seven people and wounding at least a dozen others.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

this is an indian media attempt to try to make rumours of a Pakistani link (it happened in the past as well)

the Chinese already know (and appreciate) Pakistan's role in helping to curb these seperatist groups. This was especially the case during the small-scale riots of 2008. You cant really say it's about Muslim rights --because (unfortunately) it was Uighur groups which started the attacks against the Han Chinese.

i can definitely see that foreign hands would have interest to stoke tensions among Han Chinese and Uighur Chinese, or Tibetan Chinese.

so the intelligence agencies should continue cooperation......


in the meantime, best to wait for more information to come --especially from 'more credible' and non-sensationalist news sources


interestingly enough, this comes at a time when a video was released of 16 Pakistani police officers martyred by taleban militants who crossed over from NATO-occupied Afghanistan.

 

[Dance]

Lol, how Indian news include name of Pakistan, when several other countries borders that provence.

Theres a reason why that particular news source (TOI) is often referred to as (Toi)let

 

[IndoCarib]

TOI just says China's western region borders Pakistan. and this region is major source of Islamic ultras. How can you say this is Indian attempt to make rumors of Pakistan link ??!! Not that I am fan of TOI. They suck big time ! You guys are reading too much into that line

On topic . Sad incident indeed. RIP to the dead

 

[notsuperstitious]

The nearest international boundary to Hotan town is Pakistan. Too incovenient. Lets call media outlet names as that often changes facts.

But, OTOH nobody is going to believe any islamist attacks in China have originated in Pakistan because when Pak PM says he's unable to fully stop terrorist attacks against some countries, against China he gives a 100% foolproof guarantee.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

they've done so in the past....

the Chinese and Pakistan have a good understanding on the issue. That is why Pakistan took initiative to send Ulema to China to help stop the rioting.

and it worked.

 

[Bhairava]

Now the witch-hunt will start in that province.

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

These must be the separatists in action.

There are many Uighur settlement in Pakistan and it is obvious that they are indoctrinated in Wahabism because of the proliferation of the Saudi funded madrassas.

They Uighur separatist find fertile ground in Xinjang because of the Chinese changing the demography by influx of Hans in large numbers. In fact, in the the capital city of Xinjaing, the Uighurs are a minority. Uighurs are sent to Mainland China where they are the minority.

Also ideal ground for the Uighur separatists (the Chinese call them terrorists) is the fact the religion is strictly curbed and it is monitored. But then all religions are monitored in China. Muslims however are more sensitive to non Muslim curbs.

The Globa Times has mentioned in the past about these foreign inspired religion fed terrorists.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

there were some Uighurs with militant leanings arrested all the way in the FATA theatre some months back, and currently in detention. Some were repatriated I believe.

there are JOINT efforts to ensure that no unfavourable elements criss-cross into eachother's territory --especially given foreign interests in seeing the Pak-Sino relations get disturbed.

It will prove to be a failed strategy to try to stoke tensions between the 2, simply because the relationship is time tested. Behind closed doors and in public, the 2 have an understanding on this matter.

In fact, there are Pakistani intelligence officials' statements professing resolve to work with the Chinese in this regard. And this shouldnt be mistaken for ''helping to liberate oppressed Muslims'' or any counter-crap like that. Because there is no truth in that either.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

the Chinese already know (and appreciate) Pakistan's role in helping to curb these seperatist groups.

It will prove to be a failed strategy to try to stoke tensions between the 2, simply because the relationship is time tested. Behind closed doors and in public, the 2 have an understanding on this matter.

Absolutely right.

Pakistan has always helped us enormously, by extraditing ETIM militants who flee across the border.

We know that Pakistan is doing everything in their power to help us, and it will always be appreciated.