Nine people armed with axes and knives were shot dead when they attacked the police station of Selibuya township in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region's Kashgar prefecture, killing two assistant officers, on Saturday.

Two other officers were injured, according to a statement by the Xinjiang government's information office released Saturday night.

The statement said order was restored following the incident, which began around 5:30 pm.

One of the attackers has been identified as Abula Ahat.

No civilians were injured in the attack.

It was the second attack this year on Selibuya's police station in Bachu county.

In April, a terror attack by a 25-member gang in the town left 21 dead, including six attackers and six police officers. The clash was described by the region's information office as a "severe, violent terror incident".

The police investigation determined the gang had watched and listened to materials related to religious extremism and terrorism. The members also took part in physical training and learned how to kill by watching footage of terrorist attacks.

On April 23, gang members were making bombs at a house in Selibuya when community workers arrived on a routine visit around 1 pm. Other gang members, who were not in the house, were alerted and took up positions outside.

Once they realized the community workers had discovered the explosives and were attempting to detain the men inside, the gang members ran into the house and attacked the officials.

Three of the nine community workers were women. The three women were killed. Nine other people, including the head of Selibuya police station, who had shot and killed one suspect and wounded another, were forced into a room and burned to death after the terrorists doused the room in petrol before setting it alight.

The group then ambushed a backup police team and township officials. One official was killed on the spot, and two police officers later died of their injuries.

One of the suspected terrorists was also shot dead.

cuijia@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 11/17/2013 page2)