China: Dozens killed in Xinjiang, new violence rages in Kashgar city

Chinese state media is reporting that dozens of civilians were killed or injured when groups armed with knives rampaged through a county in China's restive western province of Xinjiang.

Xinhua News reports the incident took place in Shache County, Kashgar Prefecture, which is located in the northwest of Xinjiang, China's most western province.

The attack took place in two separate towns, at around the same time in the towns of Elixku and Huangdi. The groups ran through the streets slashing and hacking at any person they saw. The local police say that dozens of both Han and Uighur civilians were injured or killed, according to Xinhua.

Xinhua says that the police killed dozens of attackers as they responded to the violence. At least 31 cars were also damaged in the violence, with six being set on fire.

The local police described the incident as, "organized and premeditated."

China has witnessed a surge in violence by its Muslim Uighur minority. The Uighurs complain they are not allowed to honor their cultural traditions because of the state imposed atheism of Communist Party. They also resent the Han Chinese in Xinjiang, who have better education, jobs, and economic prospects than their Uighur counterparts.

Reuters reports that more violence has broken out in response to this incident. A French tourist in the city of Kashgar said that he saw a dead body lying outside of the Id Kah Mosque.

The tourist told Reuters that armed police and anti-terror squads were also stream into town. The authorities also checked the phones of the tourist and the tourist's companions for any images of violence.

The tourist said one of his friends heard a lot of commotion and witnessed two people with knives running away. He could not say if they were Han or Uighur. The tourists also said that all the roads leading into Kashgar had been closed.