2015 Aksu colliery attack

2015 Aksu colliery attack
Part of the Xinjiang conflict
Location of Baicheng County (red) in Aksu Prefecture (yellow) and Xinjiang
Location	Baicheng County, Aksu City, Xinjiang, China
Coordinates	41°10′N 80°15′E / 41.167°N 80.250°E / 41.167; 80.250
Date	1 September 2015
Target	Aksu coal mine workers
Attack type	Knife attack
Deaths	50[1]
Injured	50
Perpetrators	Xinjiang separatists
No. of participants	29

The 2015 Aksu colliery attack took place on 18 September 2015, when a group of terrorists, suspected to be Uyghurs,^[1] attacked workers and security guards at a coal mine in Aksu City, Xinjiang, leaving at least 50 dead and 50 wounded. When local police arrived at the scene, the attackers rammed the police's vehicles before fleeing into the mountains. The majority of the victims of the attack were members of the Han ethnic group. ^[2]

Background[]

The attack was reported as China was celebrating the 60th anniversary of the incorporation of Xinjiang into China and the subsequent establishment of the autonomous region. During the celebrations, Yu Zhengsheng, who was then the Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made a statement advocating that troops in the region should play a bigger role in fighting separatism, terrorism and extremism. Xinjiang has seen occasional attacks in past years by members of the Uyghur ethnic group in Xinjiang. The Chinese government often blames foreign-backed Islamic terrorism for the violence, while Uyghur groups and human rights activists claim that repressive government policies in Xinjiang push Uyghurs to violence.^[1]

Attack[]

The attack on the coal mine occurred at night. The attackers, wielding knives, first attacked security guards before targeting the miners, many of whom were sleeping in their dormitory beds. They then stole a truck and rammed police vehicles that had arrived at the scene, before fleeing into the mountains, and reportedly stole firearms from police.^[3] Chinese media initially reported 16 dead, but according to local sources, at least 50 people were killed, five of whom were police officers and security guards. Authorities kept news of the attack from spreading, while local media was slow to report on it. Some local officials even denied that the attack ever took place.^[4]

Aftermath[]

Following the attack, Chinese authorities kept a tight lid on coverage of the coal mine attack, and Baicheng County was locked down.^[4] The Chinese government launched a manhunt lasting 56 days. The operation involved helicopters, armored vehicles, and 10,000 people including local volunteers.^[3] The authorities first used flash grenades and tear gas to try to force the suspects out of a cliff-side cave and, when this failed, used flamethrowers, forcing them out of a cave before gunning them down. 28 of the assailants were killed, and a lone survivor was captured according to authorities. Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the main exiled group the World Uyghur Congress, claimed that the dead included women, children and the elderly, though these claims could not be verified. Xinjiang Daily claimed that the assailants were commanded by a foreign extremist group.^[5]

References[]