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Journalism of Courage
A confrontation involving axes,knives,at least one gun and ending with the burning down of a house left 21 people dead in China8217;s troubled far west region of Xinjiang,a government spokeswoman said on Wednesday,calling it a 8220;terrorist attack8221;. Nine residents,six police and six ethnic Uighurs were killed in Tuesday8217;s violence,said Hou Hanmin,spokeswoman for the Xinjiang government.
It was not immediately clear how many burnt to death. Hou did not name any group,but China has blamed previous attacks in energy-rich Xinjiang strategically located on the borders of Afghanistan,Pakistan,India and Central Asia on Islamic separatists who want to establish an independent East Turkestan.
One of the three used a phone to call for help after they found a number of knives,resulting in their being killed by 14 Uighur 8220;rioters8221; in the house,Hou said.
8220;The community people were just conducting regular checks,but the action from the rioters was planned and well prepared,8221; Hou said. 8220;It8217;s certainly a terrorist attack.8221;
Several police and other 8220;community workers8221; came in different groups to the home where the Uighurs used axes and large knives to slash the police officers and workers,Hou said.
Only one police officer was armed with a gun,she said. The battle ended with the gang members burning down the house,killing the rest of the people there,Hou said. Eight people had been detained.
Dilxat Raxit,spokesman for the exiled World Uyghur Congress,said the violence was sparked by the shooting and killing of a young Uighur by 8220;Chinese armed personnel8221;,prompting the Uighurs to fight back.
8220;To suppress the fight among the Uighurs,China can engage in arbitrary shootings,8221; Raxit said in an emailed statement. Some Chinese officials also blame such attacks on Muslim militants trained in Pakistan. But many rights groups say China overstates the threat to justify its tight grip on the region.
