China's anti-terrorist commando forces held a public demo in the volatile Xinjiang province to shore up public confidence shaken by militant attacks in two different cities, even as the last "rioter" behind the deadly clashes that killed 35 people was caught today.
"Police in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Sunday captured the only rioter at large after a violent terrorist attack," state-run Xinhua news agency said.
The captured man is identified as Yiblayan Eli, a member of the 17-member gang behind the attack in Lukqun Township in Shanshan County in the region's Turpan Prefecture, a Xinjiang police statement said.
The gang, formed by religious extremists and led by Ahmatniyaz Sidiq, had raised funds, purchased knives and gasoline and researched the sites since mid-June to prepare for the attacks, the statement said.
Fearing their plot might be revealed after one gangster was arrested on Tuesday, 16 rioters attacked the township's police stations, a local government building, a construction site, a private store and a hair salon on Wednesday and set police cars afire, the report said.
A number of people including two police officers, were killed by the knife-wielding rioters.
Among the victims, 16 were from the Uygur ethnic group. Twenty-one police officers and civilians were also injured in the attack.
While Xinhua put the toll around 24, a report in the state-run Global Times said 35 people were killed in the violence.
The police shot and killed 11 rioters and captured another four who were injured at the scene, while one managed to escape.
Meanwhile, reports say China poured security forces beefing security in the region to prevent riots from spreading.
