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Riots have killed 27 people in China's restive far western region of Xinjiang, Chinese state media report.
The incident happened in Turban prefecture early on Wednesday.
Police opened fire after a mob armed with knives attacked police stations and a local government building, Xinhua news agency quoted officials as saying.
There are sporadic outbreaks of violence in Xinjiang, where there are rumbling ethnic tensions between Muslim Uighur and Han Chinese communities.
Confirming reports from the region is difficult because information is tightly controlled.
The incident happened in Turban's remote township of Lukqun, around 200km (120 miles) south-east of the region's capital, Urumqi.
The Xinhua news agency report, citing local officials, said rioters stabbed people and set police cars alight.
Seventeen people, including nine security personnel and eight civilians, were killed before police shot dead 10 of the rioters, it said.
At least three others were injured and were being treated in hospital, it added.
The Xinhua report did not provide any information on the ethnicity of those involved in the riot or on what sparked it.
In 2009 almost 200 people - mostly Han Chinese - were killed after deadly rioting erupted in Urumqi between the Han Chinese and Uighur communities.
In April an incident in the city of Kashgar left 21 people dead.
The government said the violence began when "terrorists" were discovered in a building by officials searching for weapons.
But local people told the BBC that the violence involved a local family who had a long-standing dispute with officials who had been pressuring the men to shave off their beards and the women to take off their veils.
Uighurs make up about 45% of Xinjiang's population, but say an influx of Han Chinese residents has marginalised their traditional culture.
Post comment Comment (5 replies)
- Reply sunnyv
- Oh so you have also got this news. Seems the news in China is not restrictive nowadays. Previously, they don't report these type of news. My friends told me that the Muslim Uighurs are very fierce and violent. A lot of Han people have migrated there in recent years but seems the two groups are hostile to each other. The police have a hard time controlling them. I was thinking of visited that province because it is bordering Europe and Asia. Hope things would quiet down soon.
- Reply loong
- the first thing the news from xinhua english news same time sina sohu broadcast since yesterday and BBC also widespread this news looks like western media cared about chinese negative news like riot and conflict and disaster all chinese new in CCTV are censored it isnt equal and fair to civilian cuz we didnt know what happened in another side, maybe bad news is a monster that we will be panic and bad influence on investment economy and politics. another terrorism and illegal will happy for a while. maybe we daily watch CCTV we fall in such a hamony place, but thousands of unfair casaulity is under way we just read different type news channel and re-judge how is everything about ours policy, system, and civism?
sunnyv: Oh so you have also got this news. Seems the news in China is not restrictive nowadays. Previously, they don't report these type of news. My friends t ...
- Reply loong
- also, it a religionism and regionism. in poor place such a conflict do every moment, they has own profit and spirit. only re-negotiation is best way
sunnyv: Oh so you have also got this news. Seems the news in China is not restrictive nowadays. Previously, they don't report these type of news. My friends t ...
- Reply sunnyv
- Actually, China radio and news also report unfavorable and negative news. I can receive Foshan radio here and they report all the truthful news including irresponsible and corrupt officials. CCTV also report unfavourable news and CCTV has very professional content and presenters. Quite good. Actually reporting the real news allow people to avoid danger. People would not be too much affected by negative news because they understand that trouble is hard to avoid and the government seems trying to improve.
loong: the first thing the news from xinhua english news same time sina sohu broadcast since yesterday and BBC also widespread this news looks like west ...
