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Homemade bombs have killed 16 police in western China just four days ahead of the Olympic Games, one of the worst attacks by suspected Muslim separatists on Chinese soil.
The attack in Kashgar, about 2,500 miles from the capital Beijing, was a reminder of recent political tensions and unrest in China, particularly in the predominantly Muslim west. Earlier warnings from security officials had indicated Uighur separatists were planning attacks in the weeks prior to the Games. Two suspected separatists were arrested in Kashgar on suspicion of the bombings and identified as Uighurs.
The Beijing Organizing Committee said it was certain spectators and athletes would be safe during the Games, while the International Olympic Committee (IOC) also reassured the millions of visitors and more than 10,000 athletes participating in what it called a "landmark event". In a statement it said, "The IOC is confident the Chinese authorities have done everything possible to ensure the security and safety of everyone at the Games."
Around 100,000 soldiers and police are on standby ahead of the opening ceremony in Beijing on Friday, and security has been increased in Tiananmen Square. President Hu Jintao told an IOC meeting that the Games would show the desire of the China to join with the rest of the world in "building a bright future".
In July a group calling itself the Turkestan Islamic Party said it was responsible for the bus bombings in Shanghai and Yunnan, which killed five people, but Chinese officials have denied that the explosions were terrorist attacks.
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