Almost 100 people were killed during attacks on a police station and government offices in China’s far western region of Xinjiang early last week, state media said today, giving fresh details on one of the worst incidents of unrest in years.
The official Xinhua news agency said 59 “terrorists” were gunned down by security forces in Shache county in Xinjiang’s far south, while 37 civilians were killed in the attacks on July 28.
State media had reported the incident a day later, saying dozens of people had been killed when knife-wielding attackers had staged assaults in two towns in the region.
It is unclear why the government waited so long to announce detailed casualties.
“Police confiscated long knives, axes as well as the terrorists’ banners that exhorted ‘holy war’,” Xinhua said.
The attacks took place at the end of the holy month of Ramazan.
