Thaindian News

London, July 14 (IANS) International terror group Al Qaeda’s North African wing has threatened to attack Chinese workers in Africa in revenge for deaths of Uighurs during the ethnic clashes in Xinjian province, according to a media report Tuesday.
The Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) said it would target the 50,000 Chinese who are working in Algeria and launch attacks against other Chinese projects in Northern Africa, the Telegraph reported, quoting London-based risk analysis company Stirling Assynt.

“This threat should be taken seriously,” the company said, adding that the terrorists had attacked a convoy of Algerian security forces who were protecting Chinese workers. At least 24 Algerians were killed during the attack.

The threat has come following the ethnic clashes between Muslim Uighurs and majority Hun Chinese that claimed the lives of at least 136 Han Chinese and 46 Uighurs. More than 1,800 were also injured in the riots.

Though China has repeatedly linked Uighur separatist groups to Al Qaeda, this is the first time that the terrorist network has made a direct threat against China or its overseas projects.

Meanwhile, China has rejected the criticisms that it allowed genocide in its restive Xinjiang region and defended its policies towards the ethnic minorities.

China was “trying to maintain order and keep stability” after a “serious violent crime” in the Xinjiang regional capital, Urumqi, foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters Tuesday.

“In which country could this be called genocide?” Qin asked referring to remarks by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who Friday said the events in Urumqi were a “form of genocide”.

“We hope that the relevant Muslim countries can get to know the facts of the ‘July 5 incident’, and then they will understand and support the religious and nationality policies of China and also the measures we have taken,” he said.