Police kill 5 Uighar militants

On 9 July 2008 police officers in the western Xinjiang region raided an apartment where several suspects were reportedly planning to launch a "holy war" on the government. Authorities stated that police officers shot and killed at least five of the suspects during the raid. The group of ethnic Uighur men was allegedly stockpiling knives and other weapons. Police officers stated that they were forced to open fire on the assailants when some of the suspects rushed toward them as they entered the apartment. The Chinese government has repeatedly accused militant Uighur groups of plotting terrorist attacks in an effort to create a breakaway state.