Riots in Tibetan-inhabited areas in the provinces of Sichuan and Gansu, both neighboring Tibet, were closely linked with Friday's deadly unrest in Lhasa and coordinated by the Dalai clique, local government officials said.

The mountainous Aba County in northwestern Sichuan saw mobsters attacking shops and government offices on Sunday afternoon, while the counties of Xiahe, Maqu, Luqu and Jone and the Hezuo City in the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in southern Gansu also witnessed similar unrests from Saturday onwards.

In both two provinces, rioters, shouting slogans of "Tibet Independence", carrying rocks and self-made petrol bombs or waving the flag of "Tibetan-government-in-exile", stormed into government offices, police stations, hospitals, schools, shops and markets.

Reportedly, police officers and government staffs were injured by the rioters.

"The series of riotous activities were not coincidental, but coordinated and closely linked with the unrest in Lhasa," said Zhang Yusheng, a spokesman with the Gansu provincial government on Wednesday.

"These sabotages were well-organized and premeditated, and their roots were in the Dalai Lama Clique, whose ulterior motive was to disturb the Beijing Olympics, destroy the peace and stability and split the country," he said.

Sources with the Gansu government said pamphlets containing "Tibetan independence" contents were in already circulation in the Gannan area on March 10, the same day a "March to Tibet" was organized from across the border in India, and exactly the same day when 300 aggressive monks from the Drepung Monastery paraded into downtown Lhasa.

Sources also told Xinhua that some of the mobsters were visiting monks who were staying at a lamasery in Gannan.

"Judging from all the signs, the destruction was organized and fanned by separatists inside China and abroad to undermine social order," said Mao Shengwu, head of the Gannan prefecture, where eight policemen and three government employees were injured.

Local governments have taken actions to maintain social order and protect the safety of the people after the riots occurred. They also stepped up protection of hospitals, schools, banks and government agencies, said Zhang Yusheng.