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By Damien Sharkov
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At least 18 people have died following a knife and bomb attack in China's northwestern Xinjiang region, which has a large population of native Muslim Uighurs. Tensions were running high due to a central government's crackdown on Ramadan, according to US-based Radio Free Asia.
Clashes between authorities and the Uighurs are not uncommon in Xinjiang where the
Turkic-speaking Uighurs make up around 40% of the population. Beijing has long maintained restrictive policies towards expressions of the Uighur's Muslim culture, fearing it could inspire separatism. Last year the government banned anyone wearing veils, head scarves or long beards from boarding public buses in the area.
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Further restrictions have been introduced this month as Ramadan begins, including a ban on the custom of fasting for teachers, government employees and anyone under 18, making it mandatory for students to continue attending free school lunches. Restaurants in the area are also to be kept open even if they are owned by Uighurs.
Radio Free Asia reported today that the attack took place earlier this week in the Tahtakoruk district of southwestern Xinjiang when a car with a group of Uighurs sped through a traffic checkpoint, breaking one traffic policeman's leg. As two more traffic police arrived on the scene, two of the assailants attacked them with knives, according to Turghun Memet an officer from the local district police.
The traffic police, who were unarmed, then called for backup from the local police department and from the People's Armed Police who are deployed in emergencies.
"By the time armed police reached the scene, three more suspects had arrived by sidecar motorcycle and attacked the checkpoint and police cars with explosives, killing one regular police officer, another traffic policeman and one auxiliary officer," Memet said.
"They also injured four other officers and damaged a police vehicle," he added.
According to police, 15 of the attackers were killed. However the total number of assailants, as well as the total number of people who died in the attack has not yet been confirmed.
Last February the New York Times reported on a spate of Uighur attacks which occurred over the space of just one month and resulted in the deaths of 27 people, none of which had been reported by the Chinese state media or government.
A former government worker, speaking on the condition of anonymity to Radio Free Asia, said that he had heard from police that 28 people had been killed in the incident, "including six attackers and three police, while the others were all bystanders."
He went on to say he believes this attack is linked to the government measures introduced to prevent the observation of Ramadan in the region.
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