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Assailants Attack Train Station in Restive Western China Assailants Attack Train Station in Restive Western China
(36 minutes later)
HONG KONG — Assailants with explosives and knives killed three people and wounded at least 79 Wednesday evening outside a railroad station in Urumqi, the capital of western China’s restive Xinjiang region where President Xi Jinping had just concluded a visit, state news media reported, calling it a brazen terrorist assault. HONG KONG — Assailants with explosives and knives killed three people and wounded at least 79 Wednesday evening outside a railroad station in Urumqi, the capital of western China’s restive Xinjiang region, where President Xi Jinping had just concluded a visit, state news media reported, calling it a brazen terrorist assault.
Mr. Xi, who had just spent four days touring the region for the first time as president, was quoted by the official Xinhua News Agency early Thursday as urging “decisive action” against the attackers. It was unclear if he was still in the region at the time of the attack.Mr. Xi, who had just spent four days touring the region for the first time as president, was quoted by the official Xinhua News Agency early Thursday as urging “decisive action” against the attackers. It was unclear if he was still in the region at the time of the attack.
There also was no immediate word on the identities of the assailants or whether any had been captured, but Chinese commentators and analysts said the attack appeared to have been the work of Xinjiang’s militant Uighur separatists, probably meant as a message of defiance to Mr. Xi. There was no immediate word on the identities of the assailants or whether any had been captured, but Chinese commentators and analysts said the attack appeared to have been the work of Xinjiang’s militant Uighur separatists, probably meant as a message of defiance to Mr. Xi.
China’s state broadcaster said an unspecified number of assailants armed with knives set off an explosion in Urumqi’s South Station. The blast took place near the station’s exit about 7:10 p.m., around the time a passenger train from the city of Chengdu arrived.China’s state broadcaster said an unspecified number of assailants armed with knives set off an explosion in Urumqi’s South Station. The blast took place near the station’s exit about 7:10 p.m., around the time a passenger train from the city of Chengdu arrived.
The police sealed off entrances to the square around the station, and ambulances took the injured away. The police sealed off entrances to the square around the station, and ambulances took the wounded away.
After initially reporting that 50 people had been hurt in the blast, Xinhua and other state news media said early Thursday that the casualties included at least three dead and 79 wounded. Xinhua called it a “violent terrorist attack.”After initially reporting that 50 people had been hurt in the blast, Xinhua and other state news media said early Thursday that the casualties included at least three dead and 79 wounded. Xinhua called it a “violent terrorist attack.”
Photographs posted on the Twitter account of the official People’s Daily newspaper showed charred luggage and debris scattered in a square next to the station. By 9 p.m., the railway station had reopened, and passengers were seen entering with a police presence, Xinhua said.Photographs posted on the Twitter account of the official People’s Daily newspaper showed charred luggage and debris scattered in a square next to the station. By 9 p.m., the railway station had reopened, and passengers were seen entering with a police presence, Xinhua said.
The blast appeared timed to coincide with the last day of a visit by Mr. Xi to the tense region, where he pushed for the integration of the Uighur ethnic minority into the wider Chinese society while vowing to combat violent acts by separatists.The blast appeared timed to coincide with the last day of a visit by Mr. Xi to the tense region, where he pushed for the integration of the Uighur ethnic minority into the wider Chinese society while vowing to combat violent acts by separatists.
An English-language editorial by Xinhua published later in the evening drew connections between the blast and an attack in March, when a group of Uighurs slashed 29 people to death at a railway station in Kunming, in southwestern China.An English-language editorial by Xinhua published later in the evening drew connections between the blast and an attack in March, when a group of Uighurs slashed 29 people to death at a railway station in Kunming, in southwestern China.
A little less than half of Xinjiang’s population of 22 million are Uighurs, an ethnic Turkic group, and many feel dispossessed under Chinese rule. The region’s tensions sometimes escalate into violence. Slightly fewer than half of Xinjiang’s 22 million people are Uighurs, an ethnic Turkic group, and many feel dispossessed under Chinese rule. The region’s tensions sometimes escalate into violence.
In July 2009 about 200 people were killed in riots between Uighurs and the majority Han Chinese in Urumqi. Last October two tourists were killed and more than three dozen injured when a car with three Uighurs inside plowed through a sidewalk and ignited near Mao’s portrait at Tiananmen Gate in Beijing. The occupants of the car were killed and five Uighurs described as Islamic separatists were arrested. In July 2009 about 200 people were killed in riots between Uighurs and the majority Han Chinese in Urumqi. Last October two tourists were killed and more than three dozen wounded when a car with three Uighurs inside plowed through a sidewalk and ignited near Mao’s portrait at Tiananmen Gate in Beijing. The occupants of the car were killed, and five Uighurs described as Islamic separatists were arrested.
The ethnic tensions were the focus of Mr. Xi’s visit to the region, his first to Xinjiang since taking over as the country’s top leader in November 2012. Mr. Xi visited police units in Urumqi as well as in the ancient Silk Road city of Kashgar, telling them to intensify efforts to combat separatists and quell violence.The ethnic tensions were the focus of Mr. Xi’s visit to the region, his first to Xinjiang since taking over as the country’s top leader in November 2012. Mr. Xi visited police units in Urumqi as well as in the ancient Silk Road city of Kashgar, telling them to intensify efforts to combat separatists and quell violence.
“The training must simulate real combat. Sweat more in peacetime to bleed less in wartime,” Xinhua quoted Mr. Xi as telling the police in Kasghar. “The training must simulate real combat. Sweat more in peacetime to bleed less in wartime,” Xinhua quoted Mr. Xi as telling the police in Kashgar.
Chen Jieren, a Beijing-based political analyst who tracks developments in Xinjiang, said there was no question that the blast had been meant as a message to Mr. Xi. “I believe that after the attackers learned that Xi was in Xinjiang they would definitely create an incident at any cost in order to prove their existence and capability,” he said.Chen Jieren, a Beijing-based political analyst who tracks developments in Xinjiang, said there was no question that the blast had been meant as a message to Mr. Xi. “I believe that after the attackers learned that Xi was in Xinjiang they would definitely create an incident at any cost in order to prove their existence and capability,” he said.
Mr. Chen said the incident would only serve to embolden authorities and “strengthen their determination to crack down.” Mr. Chen said the attack would serve only to embolden the authorities and “strengthen their determination to crack down.”
An exhaustive 20-minute account of Mr. Xi’s visit dominated the 11 p.m. news in China. Mr. Xi was seen meeting with ethnic Uighurs in one scene, and talking to officers of the People’s Armed Police in another.An exhaustive 20-minute account of Mr. Xi’s visit dominated the 11 p.m. news in China. Mr. Xi was seen meeting with ethnic Uighurs in one scene, and talking to officers of the People’s Armed Police in another.
The television report made no mention of the blast, which had taken place almost four hours earlier, and it was only after it ended that China Central Television broadcast news of the incident on its Weibo account. Posts about the incident were removed from several domestic news sites. The television report made no mention of the blast, which took place almost four hours earlier, and it was only after the report ended that China Central Television broadcast news of the attack on its Weibo account. Posts about the violence were removed from several domestic news sites.