Truck attack kills 16 in west China ahead of Games
Updated
Just four days before the Olympic Games and the Chinese government's worst fears about Muslim separatist attacks appear to have come to fruition. Sixteen policemen in China's Muslim-majority northwest have been killed in what is a suspected terror truck bombing. At least 16 others have been injured.
Presenter: China Correspondent Stephen Mcdonnell.
MCDONELL: Muslim separatists are said to have attacked a police station in China's far western province of Xinjiang. According to Xinhua wire service, they rammed the building using a tip-truck, then lobbed grenades inside and charged in using knives.
Sixteen Chinese police were killed on the spot, and two others died in hospital., 16 more were injured.
Two of the assailants have been arrested, it's not known how many of them were killed. Like all incidents in Xinjiang, it's difficult to verify any of this. Chinese authorities normally announce that violent clashes have taken place, and there's no proof shown publicly.
Uighur separatists call their province East Turkestan, the most prominent militant group is called the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, or ETIM.
Last Friday, senior Colonel Tian Yixiang from Chinese Olympic security commands centre, said that Uighur separatists pose the number one threat to the Olympics.
Human rights groups have criticised the Chinese Government for not providing enough evidence about the activities of Xinjiang separatists. They say that claims of so-called terrorist activity in Xinjiang are used as an excuse to crackdown on the Uighurs and squash any plans to foster an independence movement of any type.
Earlier this year, Chinese authorities say they foiled a plan by Uighurs to blow up a plane en-route to Beijing. They also claim to have successfully raided several training cramps run by the ETIM.
Then there was the announcement in recent weeks that a group had been arrested for plotting to bomb the Shanghai Stadium where the Ollyroos will play their opening two matches. In that case, the police didn't say whether the would-be attackers are from Xinjiang or not.
It's difficult to know whether any group from Xinjiang really has the capability to attack the Olympic Games. But Australian Government security officials will tell you privately that the threat is real, whether large or small.
