On February 25, 1997, 3 bombs exploded on 3 buses (lines 2, 10, and 44) in

Ürümqi Ürümqi, , is the capital of the Xinjiang, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in Northwestern China. With a census population of 4 million in 2020, Ürümqi is the second-largest city in China's northwestern interior after Xi'an, also the ...

Xinjiang Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC romanization, SASM/GNC: Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People' ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. 9 people were killed, including at least 3 children, and a further 28 were injured. Another 2 devices in the south railway station (the main station in

) failed to explode. Steel balls, screws, and nails were found in the bombs. Uyghur separatists had committed the bombings. Responsibility for the attacks was claimed and acknowledged by factions of certain diaspora Uyghurs.

Background

Continuing tensions in Xinjiang have been a source of

terrorism in China Terrorism in the People's Republic of China encompasses the employment of violence or threats thereof to instigate political or ideological shifts within the country. The Chinese government identifies terrorism as one of the " Three Evils," alo ...

. Conflicts over Uyghur cultural aspirations resurfaced during the 1960s. In early February 1997, the execution of 30 suspected separatists who had been involved in the organization of Meshrep during

Ramadan Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (''Fasting in Islam, sawm''), communal prayer (salah), reflection, and community. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed ...

resulted in large demonstrations, culminating in the Gulja incident on February 5, where at least 9 protesters were killed."China Uighurs executed", BBC News, 27 January 1998
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External reference

References

Mass murder in 1997 Terrorist incidents in China Bus bombings in Asia Improvised explosive device bombings in China Urumqi 1997

Terrorist incidents in China in 1997 1997 in Urumqi {{China-hist-stub