Chinese state media say 27 people have been killed in riots that broke out in the ethnically divided, far northwestern province of Xinjiang.
The official Xinhua news agency said the riots began when "knife-wielding mobs" attacked police stations, a local government building and a construction site early Wednesday in the remote Lukqun township of Shanshan County.
The report said nine policemen or security guards and eight civilians were killed in the riots before police opened fire and shot dead 10 rioters. It said three of the rioters were seized and that authorities were searching for an unknown number of others.
Xinjiang has been the scene of regular violent outbreaks in recent years, mainly between the predominantly Muslim ethnic minority Uighurs and and the Han Chinese majority.
The official Xinhua news agency said the riots began when "knife-wielding mobs" attacked police stations, a local government building and a construction site early Wednesday in the remote Lukqun township of Shanshan County.
The report said nine policemen or security guards and eight civilians were killed in the riots before police opened fire and shot dead 10 rioters. It said three of the rioters were seized and that authorities were searching for an unknown number of others.
Xinjiang has been the scene of regular violent outbreaks in recent years, mainly between the predominantly Muslim ethnic minority Uighurs and and the Han Chinese majority.