12 Chinese, One American Killed in Attacks Aiming at Disruption of Olympic Games

Eight terrorists killed, two blow themselves up in Xinjiang

www.chinaview.cn 2008-08-10 23:08:08

KUQA, Xinjiang, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) --

Police in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region said eight terrorists who carried out a series of explosions early Sunday were shot dead and two others blew themselves up dead.

The serial explosions occurred in the early hours on Sunday in some supermarkets, hotels and government buildings in Kuqa County, killing a security guard and injuring two policemen, two civilians and a security guard, the Xinjiang Public Security Department said.

Eight terrorists were shot dead by police while two others killed themselves by suicidal bombings, the department said.

Police have arrested two terrorists and are searching three others still at large. Thirteen civilians were rescued and dozens of bomb devices yet to blow up were seized.

Buildings or houses in many sites were damaged in the bombings.

Police and cleaning crews have largely cleared the scenes of the deadly bombings. And the county's public security order had been restored by 7 p.m. Sunday.

A shop owner told Xinhua that the first bombing took place shortly after 2 a.m., when some 20 people were still having cold drinks in front of his shop at the intersection of Jiefang Road and Wenhuazhonglu Road.

"Suddenly there was a big bang, the customers and I just ran away," said the owner, who declined to give his name. "When I looked back, my shop was totally destroyed," he said.

Not far from the shop, the doors and windows of several buildings were damaged, and some residents were evacuated to a nearby school.

A middle-aged Uygur woman, who also did not want to be identified, told Xinhua that she and her family were awakened by the bombings.

"My two daughters and I have to stay at the school, because we are afraid to go back home," she said.

Local police said the attacks against a range of official facilities involved at least 15 people and 12 explosions of gas-based pipe bombs.

All institutions and enterprises in the county, which is about 740 kilometers from the regional capital of Urumqi, were ordered to close after the bombings.

A few taxis were still running but passengers had to undergo security checks and questioning before taking them, and the movement of private vehicles was tightly restricted in and out of the county.

According to the official accounts, the attacks began at 2:30 a.m., when a three-wheeled vehicle carrying explosive devices drove into the yard of the county public security bureau and an explosion went off.

According to the attacker captured in the initial incident at the public security bureau, there were 15 people involved in the attacks.

The bombers attacked the local government, public security bureau and the economic and trade committee with explosive devices. Police said they were aware of 12 bombings in the county.

According to initial investigation, the devices were made of pipes, gas canisters and liquid gas tanks. Police seized a taxi that the attackers used for the bombings.

Kuqa, with a population of about 400,000, is some 740 kilometers southwest of the regional capital Urumqi.

Editor: Yan

Chinese president expresses sympathy over death of American tourist

www.chinaview.cn 2008-08-10 13:14:12

BEIJING, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) --

Chinese President Hu Jintao on Sunday expressed sincere sympathy to his U.S. counterpart over the tragic incident on Saturday in which one American citizen was killed and the other injured.

"I would like to express my heartfelt sympathy to you and the family of the victims over this unfortunate incident," said Hu, while meeting U.S. President George W. Bush in Beijing.

Hu said that the Chinese side has paid great attention to this incident and he has personally instructed the Chinese Foreign Ministry to visit the injured American in hospital.

"We started investigation on this case immediately, and will handle it seriously in accordance with the law. We will keep contact with the U.S. side and inform you of the new developments," said the Chinese president.

President Bush thanked China for how it has handled the situation of Todd Bachman and his family, and also thanked Hu for his expression of sympathy.

Todd and Barbara Bachman of Lakeville, Minneapolis, were attacked by a man while touring the 13th-century Drum Tower of Beijing on Saturday. Todd Bachman died from knife wounds while his wife suffered multiple stab wounds and was in critical but stable condition after an eight-hour surgery.

Police said that the assailant, 47-year-old Tang Yongming from Hangzhou of east China's Zhejiang Province, later killed himself by jumping off a 130-foot high balcony on the Drum Tower.

During Sunday's meeting, which was followed by a banquet, Bush said that he enjoyed the conservation with Hu, adding that he has had "memorable experience" every time he visited the country.

Describing the grand opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games, which he attended on Friday night, as "spectacular", Bush congratulated China on the successful opening of the Games and said he has "fully enjoyed" the Games.

Bush, who watched a swimming final on Sunday morning in which Michael Phelps clinched a men's 400m individual medley gold with a world record-breaking result, said he is looking forward to watching the basketball match between China and the United States scheduled for Sunday night.

The Chinese president said that he was very pleased to meet Bush again. "This is already the fourth visit you pay to our country, which has made you the U.S. president paying the most visits to China in the presidential terms," Hu told Bush.

"This has fully demonstrated the great importance Mr. President has attached to the development of Sino-U.S. relations," he said.

The inauguration of the new U.S. embassy in Beijing on Friday, which President Bush attended, and the inauguration of the Chinese embassy in Washington at the end of last month, signified the further advancement of the China-U.S. relations, said the Chinese president.

Hu also congratulated Bush on the victory of Michael Phelps, whom he called "an excellent athlete of the United States." He said he believes Phelps will "achieve more outstanding results" in the Olympic swimming competition.

Editor: Xinhuanet

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