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Two terror groups busted in Xinjiang

BEIJING: China has cracked two terrorist groups in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the Ministry of Public Security said here on Thursday.

The terrorists, who numbered 45 in all, had attempted to carry out sabotage to undermine the Beijing Olympics, ministry spokesman Wu Heping told a press conference.

In the first case, police in Xinjiang netted a 10-member group led by Aji Muhammat, between January 4 and 11, Mr. Wu said. Eighteen explosive devices, an additional 4 kg of explosives, seven detonators, 100 kg of raw material for making explosives and “a mass of text materials on starting a ‘holy war’” were seized during the raid. Police investigations indicated that the group was sent by “East Turkistan” separatists from abroad to carry out anti-Olympic terrorist attacks.

Aji Muhammat and his gang confessed to the police, Mr. Wu said. According to Mr. Wu, under the guidance of the “East Turkistan” movement, the group had been secretly recruiting members and sending them abroad for training.

“After 13 remote explosive and poisonous device experiments, they had planned to start terrorist attacks using explosives and poison in Beijing and Shanghai, starting this May, to wreck the Olympics,” Mr. Wu said.

The other group was headed by Abdurahman Tursun. — Xinhua

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