Xinjiang violence 'leaves 13 Han Chinese dead'
Paramilitary policemen stand on a truck as they travel past the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar during an anti-terrorism oath-taking rally in Urumqi, Xinjiang on 23 May 2014. Chinese authorities have stepped up the security presence in key Xinjiang towns and cities
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A Chinese official says 13 people were killed on Monday in the latest outbreak of violence in the western region of Xinjiang.
The regional official told the BBC the incident took place in Yarkant, a town near the border with Tajikistan.
All the victims are understood to be Han Chinese. The area is seen as the heartland of the region's Muslim Uighur ethnic minority.
Official media and government news sources have not reported the attack.
Confirming details of incidents in Xinjiang is difficult, because the flow of information is tightly controlled.
The BBC's Damian Grammaticas says the lack of official reporting on the incident may be an attempt to prevent any worsening of ethnic or religious tensions in the area.
In 2009, large-scale ethnic rioting between Han Chinese and Uighur communities in Xinjiang's capital, Urumqi, left some 200 people - mostly Han Chinese - dead.
In recent months there has been an upsurge in Xinjiang-linked violence that authorities have attributed to Uighur separatists.
In May at least 31 people were killed when two cars crashed through an Urumqi market and explosives were thrown. In March, a mass stabbing at Kunming railway station killed 29 people.
In response Chinese authorities have launched a year-long security campaign which includes increased police and troop presence in key cities and towns in Xinjiang.
Uighur rights groups say there is considerable resentment against Chinese rule in Xinjiang, in particular restrictions on religious and cultural freedoms.
China says it is investing heavily in the region to improve people's lives. 作者: zhanghaifeng 时间: 2014-7-29 22:12
新华网乌鲁木齐7月29日电 记者从新疆警方获悉:7月28日凌晨,新疆莎车县发生一起严重暴力恐怖袭击案件。一伙暴徒持刀斧袭击艾力西湖镇政府、派出所,并有部分暴徒窜至荒地镇,打砸焚烧过往车辆,砍杀无辜群众,造成数十名维汉族群众伤亡,31辆车被打砸,其中6辆车被烧。公安民警迅速依法处置,击毙暴徒数十名。