China’s Kunming railway station saw security stepped up after a mass knife attack resulted in the deaths of at least 33 people and left over 130 injured.<br /><br />Four suspects were shot dead, while a further person – thought to be female – is being detained and others are believed to have fled the scene.<br /><br />According to one eyewitness, a group – mostly wearing black – rushed into the station and started to attack people with knives. <br /><br />Chinese authorities have blamed militants from the restive, far-western region of Xinjiang for Saturday’s assault.<br /><br />It is the first time people from this area have been blamed for an attack so far from their home region. <br /><br />China heightened security in Xinjiang from October 2013 when a vehicle drove into tourists on the edge of Tiananmen Square, killing two bystanders, as well as the car’s three occupants.<br /><br />The country labelled this a “suicide attack” by militants from Xinjiang, which is home to the Muslim Uighur people, many of whom are unhappy about restrictions placed on their culture and religion.<br /><br />If the assault at Kunming Railway station is found to have been the work of militants from the same region, it will signal a considerable escalation in the simmering unrest which had previously only focussed on Xinjiang.<br /><br />Officials have been ordered to track down those behind the attack. China’s president, Xi Jinping, was quoted by news agency Xinhua as saying authorities must:<br />“Severely punish the violent terrorists in accordance with the law, and resolutely crack down on those who have been swollen with arrogance.” <br /><br />Just days before the opening of China’s annual parliamentary session, the incident in the southwestern city comes at a particularly sensitive time for the country. Security is normally tightened during this period each year.
