Kashgar: Group planned 'big attack'

The group then ambushed a backup team of police officers and township officials. One township official was killed and two police officers later died of their wounds in hospital. One suspect was shot dead.

Then four terror suspects ran onto the street and set vehicles alight. One was shot dead as he tried to break into the county government building. Three hijacked a tricycle and drove into Selibuya police station and they set it on fire before being shot dead.

Zhang Chunxian, Party chief of the region, said the terrorists were planning an even more brutal attack and the brave men and women sacrificed their lives to prevent it from happening.

The site of a house burnt down during a terror attack last week in Kashgar, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Zhen Shixin / For China Daily

Bekri, chairman of the region, said: "The incident shows that violent terrorists and extremists will attack anyone, regardless of ethnicity. They even attacked women and people that they know. Their acts are not due to ethnic or religious issues but are attempts to divide China, which will never be tolerated."

Communication between foreign and domestic separatists will be severed, he said.

On the afternoon of April 27, police allowed access to the crime scene following their investigation.

The house was gutted by the blaze. Relatives of the dead came to see the spot where their loved ones were killed.

"I cannot believe my brother was killed in this horrible way. No one has the right to do that," said Liu Cailing, sister of Liu Xuliang, Party chief of the community.

She insisted on seeing the burnt-out room where Liu died. "They (terrorists) need to be punished as soon as possible. People should never live in fear," she said.

Aniwar Ahat lost his son and a brother in the attack.

His son, Akbar Aniwar, 25, was an assistant police officer at Yingbazha and his brother, Tayir Ahat, was in charge of the community's security.

"The terrorists have no humanity or conscience. They destroyed my life. I hate them so much. My son only just began work last July. He said his goal was to marry a pretty wife," Aniwar Ahat said in tears.

"No one should tolerate and support terrorists and every one of them should be punished harshly by the law."