CHINA BLAMED TERROR CAMPS IN PAKISTAN

CHINA BLAMED

TERROR CAMPS IN PAKISTAN

China today blamed 'extremists' trained in terror camps in Pakistan for orchestrating attacks on civilians in the troubled Xinjiang province, where 20 people, including alleged militants, were killed in violent incidents over two days. While nine people were killed in a violent attack on Saturday1st, August, 2011, another 11, including five suspected militants, were killed in another attack last night. A statement by the Kashgar municipal government said militants trained by the 'East Turkistan Islamic Movement' in Pakistan were responsible for the recent flare up in violence. 'A group of religious extremists led by culprits trained in overseas terrorist camps were behind the weekend attack on civilians in China's far-western Xinjiang,' state run Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying. 'Initial probe has shown that the heads of the group had learned skills of making explosives and firearms in overseas camps of the terrorist group East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) in Pakistan before entering Xinjiang to organise terrorist activities,' it said.

The Xinjiang region witnessed massive riots in 2009, when almost 200 people were killed in its capital Urumqi, following which China launched a major crackdown against Uyghur Muslim separatists. On July 18 this year, 14 'rioters' were killed when they reportedly attacked a police station and killed four people in the province's Hotan city. This is perhaps the first time that China has pointed fingers at its close ally Pakistan while referring to ETIM camps there. Xinjiang shares its borders with Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) and a lot of trade between China and Pakistan is routed through Kashghar as it is located close to
the border.

   Violence flared up again in China's troubled Xinjiang province, with six civilians and five suspected 'terrorists' being killed in attacks engineered reportedly by Uyghur separatists, taking the death toll in two days of bloodshed to 25.Violent attacks continued in Kashghar city of the volatile province, whose capital Urumqi witnessed massive riots in 2009 claiming almost 200 lives. Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency reported that five 'suspects' were shot dead by police last night, while four others were nabbed. At least 14 people, including a Chinese police officer, were killed earlier in a spate of violent incidents. Fresh attacks left six civilians dead and 15 others, including three policemen, injured.

The local government said in a statement that a 'group of armed terrorists' broke into a restaurant in the city centre in Kashghar about 4 p m yesterday(31^st,July,2011) and killed the restaurant owner and a waiter besides setting fire to it. 'They then ran out and hacked civilians indiscriminately, leaving four dead and 12 injured, while police and fire fighters were striving to put out the fire,' it said. Police then opened fire and killed four 'suspects' at the scene, while another 'suspect' died later in hospital, it said, adding it was a 'premeditated terrorist attack’. Police have condoned off the area where the violence occurred and all shops on the commercial street have closed. Police have also imposed traffic controls on major roads and squares by midnight in the oasis city in southern Xinjiang.

                                                                     Prof. John Kurakar