Grenade attack kills 16 in China
- 00:01:54
- ITN
Grenade attack kills 16 in China
Suspected terrorists are to blame for a grenade attack in China that has killed 16 people just four days before the start of the Beijing Olympics, police have said. Two men reportedly used a dumper truck to ram their way into the border patrol armed police headquarters in Kashgar in the Muslim-dominated Xinjiang region and then threw two hand grenades. All of the victims were all border officials. The state news agency said: "The two attackers got off the lorry after the vehicle veered to hit on a roadside wire pole." "They threw two grenades to the barracks, causing explosion. They also hacked the policemen with knives." Local people there have been a focus of increased security in the build-up to the Games because of their resentment of Chinese control in the region. Police have reportedly identified five terrorist groups in the region that are allegedly plotting to sabotage the Games. Senior Colonel Tian Yixiang, China's military officer in charge of Olympics security, said before the blast that "East Turkestan terrorist groups" were the biggest threat to Games security. Nicholas Bequelin from Human Rights Watch said: "This is the most serious incident recorded in years." "Ahead of the Olympics, it is a very powerful symbolic attack because security in Xinjiang is at an all-time high."
ITN | August 4, 2008
