For a long time, China was exempt from terrorism, although it had experienced unrest in occupied Tibet. In the past decade however, and especially in the past 2 years, China has become part of that unenviable club of first world countries facing devastating attacks from terrorists who have long term plans to continue their violent activities until they obtain independence in their territory of origin or do some significant damage to the Chinese government.
One of the most violent attacks in recent history took place today in a train station in the Chinese Town of Kunming, in southwestern China. Several men, brandishing knives, suddenly began attacking people at random on the waiting platform.
The police was able to shoot five of the assailants before they inflicted further damage, but not before 28 people were slain.
The group of men was able to injure an additional 109 in the brief time they conducted their attack. The attackers were dressed completely in black and rushed the station stabbing indiscriminately anyone who they could find in the path.
No one has yet taken responsibility for the attack, although some already suspect that separatist Muslims have retaliated for the recent attacks conducted by Chinese police in the far away province of Xinjiang. Uighur Muslim long a target of Chinese repression, have become radicalized and determined to obtain independence through the use of terrorist tactics.
Some of the attackers are believed to be women, which would fall in line with the theory that it was separatist Muslims who conducted the attack. The employment of women for sudden attacks has become the new m.o. of Al Qaeda affiliate groups and Islamist terrorist group in general.
What is obvious however, is the fact that the attack has all the hallmarks of a terrorist attack both because of the style of operation and the large number of people involved.
Xinhua agency, a major news outlet in China, has remained mum about the fine details of the attacks. But they have not been shy in labeling the attack a terrorist action.
A social site similar to Twitter in China was filled with pictures of the victims strewn on the platform, much to the dismay of both the authorities and the families of the people killed and injured in the attack.
According to China Daily, some of the attackers have been captured alive.
Source : China Daily: 3.1.14
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