Apr 23, 2013
Translated by Chi Yi

According to a report carried by Tianshan Net, a violent incident resulting in deaths of 21 people took place in a remote area of northwest China yesterday afternoon.

According to the report, at 1.30pm on Apr 23, while community staff were visiting the homes of various residents in Selibuya (色力布亚镇), a township in the county of Bachu (Maralbexi) in Xinjiang's Kashgar prefecture, three community staff came across some suspicious people and knives in one home.

The staff alerted their superiors about the situation by mobile phone but were then captured by people who had been hiding in the room.

Local police and community officials arrived on the scene after receiving the report and were attacked and murdered by the group. The community staff who were being held were also killed. They house was then set on fire by the perpetrators.

More police arrived on the scene and shot the perpetrators and soon had the situation under control.

Fifteen people from the police and local community died (10 Uyghurs, 3 Han, 2 Mongolian).

During the violence, 6 of the perpetrators were also shot dead and 8 were captured.

According to the report, initial investigations indicate that this was a planned terrorist activity.

The investigation is still ongoing.

Links and Sources
Tianshan Net: 新疆巴楚县发生一起严重暴力恐怖案件
China Daily: Violent attacks occur in China\'s Xinjiang
Shanghai Daily: Terrorist attack in Xinjiang kills 15;Six mobsters shot to death