Police station attack leaves 11 dead in Xinjiang

Nine axe-wielding attackers have been shot dead during an attack on a police station in China's volatile western Xinjiang province, state media say.

The Xinhua news agency reports that two backup police officers died in Saturday's clashes in Bachu county's Serikbuya, near the city of Kashgar. Another two policemen were also injured. Xinhua provided no further details.

Muslim Uighurs make up a large part of the population in Xinjiang where there have already been violent clashes this year.

Last month, five people died when a car drove into a crowd in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. Authorities blame the attack on separatist East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM).

China often blames the ETIM for incidents in Xinjiang. But the BBC says few believe that the group has any capacity to carry out any serious acts of terror in China.

Uighur groups claim China uses ETIM as an excuse to justify repressive security in Xinjiang.

Source: bbc.co.uk