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Сivilians and armed police officer killed in China's Xinjiang unrest (UPDATE)

Other News Materials 6 July 2009 02:19 (UTC +04:00)

The unrest in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has led to the death of "several civilians and one armed police officer" as of 11:30 p.m. Sunday, sources with the regional government said early Monday, Xinhua reported.
   

A number of ordinary people and armed police officers were also injured during the unrest, while many motor vehicles and shops were smashed and burned, the sources said.
  

The situation is under control now, it added.
  

The development came just 30 minutes after the government said three ordinary people of the Han ethnic group were killed in the unrest as of 11 p.m. Sunday, in addition to 20 others injured.
  

Initial investigation showed the unrest was masterminded by the World Uyghur Congress led by Rebiya Kadeer.
  

"The unrest is a preempted, organized violent crime. It is instigated and directed from abroad, and carried out by outlaws in the country," a government statement said early Monday.
  

According to the government, the World Uyghur Congress has recently been instigating an unrest via the Internet among other means, calling on the outlaws "to be braver" and "to do something big."
  

Nur Bekri, chairman of the Xinjiang regional government, said in a televised speech Monday morning that the move came after a conflict between Uygur and Han ethnic people in a toy factory in the southern Guangdong province in June 26.
  

The government did not say how many people were involved in Sunday's unrest, only said they illegally gathered and protested in several downtown places at about 7 p.m. Sunday and engaged in beating, smashing, looting and burning.
  

The government sent armed police to disperse the crowd and arrested some rioters. The exact number of people arrested was not disclosed.

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