Xinjiang terror group smashed, say police
Members of cell killed or arrested as it emerges that leader was interrogated five years ago but freed due to lack of evidence
Mainland police say they have broken up a terrorist group linked to a clash with the authorities in Xinjiang last week in which 21 people died.
Public security authorities said the assailants were linked to a jihadist group and said the mastermind of last Tuesday's attack had been interrogated five years ago. They did not say if the jihadist group had overseas links.
At a memorial service yesterday, the 15 police officers and government workers killed in the attack were hailed as martyrs. Six of their assailants also died at the scene of the attack in Bashu county, Kashgar, making it the deadliest incident in the autonomous region since July 2009, when nearly 200 people died in rioting in the regional capital, Urumqi.
Eight of those who died were police officers. The other seven included a township Communist Party secretary, a publicity official and workers. Ten of the police and government workers who died were Uygurs.
A notice on the regional government's internet news portal said eight assailants had been captured on the spot, with 11 others who fled to other cities arrested over the past few days. Police had confiscated 20 explosive devices, "jihadist" flags, substances that could be used for making bombs and a number of knives.
It said the police had investigated a member of the group in July 2007 for suspected involvement in terrorism but that he had been released as there was insufficient evidence to press charges.
Three government workers checked a home last Tuesday after receiving a tip-off. A person in the house alerted their associates nearby, leading to the capture of three government workers, who were later killed.