Terror group threatens Beijing Olympics

Canada News.Net
Sunday 27th July, 2008

The Turkestan Islamic Party, a group which has sprung up in China, has taken responsibility for deadly bus bombings last week in China's western Yunnan province.

The group has also admitted to other recent terror incidents, and has threatened further attacks during the Olympic Games.

The Chinese government has played down the group's claims, saying some of the details have been false.

On a web site used by the group, threats were made to attack Chinese central cities using tactics that have never been employed.

Terrorism experts say that the group has been evident in China previously, as a separatist organization from the Xinjiang region.

The Turkestan Islamic Party advocates independence for the area's Muslim Uighur inhabitants.

Counter-terrorism experts have said the group consists of about 40 fighters who have trained with al-Qaeda in Pakistan, but it is unlikely the group will be able to launch different attacks in different cities in China.

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