Twenty Killed In Attack In China's Xinjiang

Twenty people were killed when a group of men wielding axes and knives attacked a market in China's western Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Chinese authorities have said.

The incident late on February 29 was the latest outbreak of violence in the ethnically divided region in recent weeks. Initial Chinese media reports put the death toll at 12.

Now officials say 13 bystanders were killed and that security forces killed seven "terrorists." Another two "terrorists" were arrested.

Xinjiang, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, is home to around 9 million mainly Muslim Uyghurs.

The spokesman for the Germany-based World Uyghur Congress, Dilxat Raxit, said the violence started because Uyghurs "could no longer bear China's systematic repression."

Many Uyghurs fear their culture and traditions are disappearing as more ethnic Han Chinese move into the region.

With AFP and Reuters reporting