Police hail 'major victory' after foiling plot to launch new bomb attack in Xinjiang

Anti-terror police in Xinjiang claimed to have scored a “major victory” after officers swooped on a “significant terrorist group” and raided two bomb factories, according to the local Communist Party mouthpiece, the Xinjiang Daily.

Police arrested five suspects who allegedly planned to bomb a crowded public place in the troubled region’s Hotan prefecture, the report said. Officers seized 1.8 tonnes of explosive material.

The planned attack, allegedly to be led by Abuliz Dawut, was said to have been modelled on the deadly explosions that rocked an open-air market in Urumqi last week, according to the Xinjiang Daily.

The gang were reported to have planned to drive into crowds before detonating their handmade explosive devices. The police also found the suspects travelled to Urumqi and other mainland cities to purchase explosive material.

Police have also broken up terror groups based in Aksu, Kashgar and Ili. They allegedly participated in terror activities, distributed audio and video products containing terrorist content, manufactured explosives and tried to flee abroad, the paper added.

Their arrest follows a raid on Sunday, in which the police captured 200 suspects allegedly part of 23 terrorist or religious extremist groups.