Beijing: A plane was threatened with a bomb
attack in China's restive Xinjiang region whose capital Urumqi
witnessed one of the country's worst-ever communal violence
last month.
The state-run news agency earlier reported that
the plane was hijacked in the province.
However, it later said that the Afghanistan plane bound
for Urumqi was "bomb-threatened," quoting armed police sources
in Xinjiang. It did not give any further details on the
incident.
The plane was bound for Urumqi and the airport of the
regional capital received an order from the aviation
authorities to prevent the plane from landing in the city,
the news agency said.
Clashes had erupted between the ethnic Uygur Muslims and
the majority Han Chinese last month after a demonstration
turned violent killing 197 people and injuring more than
1,700.
The Chinese government had blamed exiled separatist
Uygur leader Rebiya Kadeer for instigating the violence, a
charge denied by her.
The violence prompted a crackdown by the state and
hundreds of people were rounded up by authorities.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, August 09, 2009, 23:14