Police in China’s Restive West Fend Off ‘Terrorist Attack,’ Killing Eight

Violence becoming more frequent and attributed to Islamic separatists

  • Share
  • Read Later
STR / AFP / Getty Images

An anti-terrorism force including public security police and the armed police attend an anti-terrorism joint exercise in Hami, northwest China's Xinjiang region on July 2, 2013.

Nine men armed with knives and explosives attacked a police station in China’s Xinjiang region early Monday morning, according to the regional government.

Reuters reports that police shot eight of the attackers dead and captured a ninth. It was the second outburst of violence in the region this month.

Officials have blamed a recent string of attacks on radicalized members of the Muslim majority population in the region, while protesters have demonstrated outside of police stations to decry harsh crackdowns.

[Reuters]