BEIJING ( 13 Die in Attack on Police Station in Northwest China )

BEIJING – At least 13 people died on Saturday in a new attack on a police station in the northwestern Chinese region of Xinjiang, where tensions between the Communist regime and extremist Muslim groups have increased over the past few months.

According to the official news agency Xinhua citing local authorities, the 13 dead were part of a group of assailants gunned down by security forces, while three police officers suffered slight wounds in the clash.

The same sources said that no civilians were killed or wounded in the attack.

For its part, local media reported that a truck crashed into the police station in the city of Yecheng in the southern part of Xinjiang province, and that those riding in it detonated several explosive devices before they were brought down by security forces.

The Xinjiang autonomous region remains a scene of violence in China after decades of conflict between the Uygurs and the majority Han ethnicity.

Beijing says there are extremist groups in this region, many headed by Uygurs, who demand independence for this territory under the name of East Turkestan.

For their part, Uygur groups in exile complain that Beijing uses accusations of terrorism as an excuse to repress their religion and culture, and say that the recent increase of ethnic clashes is due to the “persistent” violation of their human rights.

Over the past five years the number of victims related to clashes between the authorities and these groups or from terrorist attacks stands at around 400.

One of the worst attacks was launched last May 22 when two vehicles ran over people at a crowded street market in the town of Urumqi, capital of the region, leaving 39 dead and almost 100 injured.

In recent months, some attacks have also occurred outside the region, something unprecedented up to now, which has spurred Chinese authorities to roll out an antiterrorist campaign and to heighten surveillance around the country