XINHUA NEWS AGENCY
Kashgar Bus Bombing Kills 31, Injures 94
KASHGAR, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) — A bomb detonated aboard a public transit bus in central Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Saturday afternoon, killing 31 people and injuring 94 others. The explosion occurred at approximately 13:40 local time on Renmin Road near the central bazaar district. Hospital authorities described seventeen of the injured as in critical condition.
Among the dead were civilian commuters, municipal workers, and regional government employees. The status of foreign nationals present in the area was being verified. Regional Party Secretary Chen Quanguo stated that “the perpetrators of this cowardly act will be found and will face the full consequences of Chinese law.”
ETIM Involvement Confirmed; PLA Mobilising
URUMQI, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) — Chinese authorities confirmed that the August 4th bus bombing and subsequent armed attacks on government facilities across three districts of southern Xinjiang were carried out by operatives linked to the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), a United Nations-designated terrorist organisation.
Coordinated armed attacks following the Kashgar bombing resulted in separatist elements seizing administrative control of portions of Yarkant, Kargilik, and Karakax counties. The People’s Liberation Army Western Theatre Command confirmed that ground forces, armoured units, and air assets had been repositioned to the affected area. A PLA spokesperson stated that operations “will be concluded completely and without compromise.”
Three American citizens were among the dead: two tourists and one United States consular official attached to the Chengdu consulate. Additionally, twelve regional government officials and Communist Party cadres were executed by separatist forces during the seizure of administrative facilities.
The Ministry of State Security issued a statement citing evidence of external logistical and financial support for the ETIM operatives. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang noted the timing of the attack — occurring while the Chinese People’s Liberation Army was engaged in supporting operations in eastern Europe — and stated: “We have noted the timing of this attack and draw our own conclusions about who benefits from instability on China’s western frontier at this particular moment. We will present our findings through appropriate channels when the investigation is complete. We will not forget what we find.”
Total communications and movement restriction was imposed on the affected area. Independent media access was suspended for the duration of operations. A timeline for completion was not provided.
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