Several bombings that occurred in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region early Sunday morning have left seven bombers and a security guard dead, and two police and two civilians injured, according to the latest information of the regional government.
The explosions occurred at 2:30 a.m. in Kuqa County, southern Xinjiang, when a tricycle carrying explosive devices drove into the yard of the county public security bureau and then an explosion went off, a regional government spokesman said.
The bombing killed a security guard, injured two police officers and two civilians, and destroyed two police cars.
Police shot one of the bombers dead, captured one at the scene. One bomber killed himself and another was seriously hurt.
At 8:20 a.m., police found five bombers hidden under a market counter. They kept tossing home-made explosives at the police. Police shot two of them dead and the other three blasted themselves.
According to the captured attacker, there were 15 people involved in the attacks.
The suicide bombers attacked the local government, public security bureau, security bureau, economic and trade committee with explosive devices. Police had spotted 12 bombings in the county.
According to initial investigation, the devices were made of bent pipe, gas canisters and liquid gas tanks. Police seized a Taxi which the attackers used for the bombings.
The whole county was cordoned off. The authorities have ordered all institutions and enterprises to suspend operation and roadside stores to close. Private vehicles were restricted to go in and out of the county.
Kuqa has a population of about 400,000. It is about 740 kilometers from Urumqi, the regional capital.
(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2008)