US concerned over violent clashes in Chinese province

The United States have expressed its concern over reports of violence in Xinjiang province of China that has taken the lives of at least 27 people.
"We are closely following the reports of violence that have taken the lives of 27 people in Xinjiang. We continue to monitor the situation closely, and we offer our condolences to the families of the victims," the State Department spokesperson, Patrick Ventrell said yesterday.
At least 27 people, including 9 security personnel, were killed yesterday as knife-wielding rioters attacked police stations and government building in China's restive Xinjiang province in one of the worst violence since 2009. These riots took place in remote Lukqun township of Shanshan County in Turpan Prefecture, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

"The United States urges Chinese authorities to conduct a thorough, transparent investigation of this incident, to provide those detained the due process protections to which they're entitled under China's constitution, laws, and international human rights commitments," said Ventrell.
"We remain deeply concerned by the ongoing reports of discrimination and restrictions against Uighurs and Muslims in China. So this is something that we've been clear about," he added.