Civilians and armed police officer killed in NW China violence

• Source: Xinhua
• [09:15 July 06 2009]
• Comments

Firemen put out a fire in Dawannanlu Street in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on July 5, 2009. (Xinhua/Shen Qiao)

The violence in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has led to the death of "a number of civilians and one armed police officer" on Sunday, sources with the regional government said early Monday.

Some ordinary people and armed police officers were also injured, while many motor vehicles and shops were smashed and burned, the sources said.

The situation is under control now, it added.

Previous government report said that three ordinary people of the Han ethnic group were killed in the incident as of 11 p.m. Sunday, in addition to 20 others injured.

"They took to the street, not peacefully, carrying knives, wooden batons, brick and stone," said Wang Yaming, who was hacked down by several outlaws, but then saved by a group of Uygur citizens.

A taxi driver, whose surname was Zhao, told Xinhua that he was assaulted by some 20 young people with batons in hands rushing out of a lane. "They hit me badly and took my mobile phone and money away, then they smashed the window of my car," he said.

Photo taken on July 5, 2009 shows a shop which is smashed in Tianchi Street in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The violence in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has led to the death of "a number of civilians and one armed police officer" on Sunday, sources with the regional government said early Monday.(Xinhua/Liu Bing)