Simona Botviciute,

Editor (Asia – Far East)

XINJIANG – Eight people were shot dead by the police during a violent clash in Yarkand country. According to the regional government’s news website, it raised the total death toll in recent Xinjiang’s clashes to at least 35 deaths since November 2013:

“At around 6:30 a.m., nine thugs carrying knives attacked a police station in Kashgar’s Yarkand county, throwing explosive devices and setting police cars on fire,” said the official statement. “The police took decisive measures, shooting dead eight and capturing one.”

The incident was labelled as a “terrorist attack” and is currently being investigated. Beijing tends to blame extremists for the violence, while Uighur activists claim that oppressive Chinese government’s control and ethnic tensions are the cause.

Approximately 100 people were killed within the ratio of 1 year in Xinjiang region alone. Earlier this month, police shot dead 14 people in a riot near Kashgar, which also claimed 2 lives of policemen, state media has said.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang held a regular press briefing and commented about the ongoing clashes in Xinjiang, stating that: “The Chinese government will strike hard against them in accordance with the law.”

 

This is a breaking news story, please check back for further updates.

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Simona Botviciute

Simona Botviciute

Simona is the Editor of Asia – Far East section of The Global Panorama. She is continuously studying in School of Journalism, Media & Cultural Studies at Cardiff University. She enjoys both news writing and editorial type of work regarding any cultural or political aspect of Asian countries. Being a passionate music lover she is also a contributor to the Music section of the website.