Separatists from China's northwest region of Xinjiang orchestrated the attack on a train station which left 29 dead, the

Xinhua news agency reported, quoting the city government !t said evidence from the scene of the attack late Saturday in "unming #y a group of knife$ wielding people pointed to separatists from Xinjiang, a vast region home to the mostly$ %uslim &ighur minority 'ictims descri#ed attackers dressed in #lack #ursting into the station in the southwestern province of (unnan and slashing indiscriminately )he attack left at least 29 dead and more than *+, wounded, Xinhua said, citing local authorities -olice shot dead at least four attackers, it said in an earlier report Xinjiang is periodically hit #y violent clashes #etween locals and security forces #ut such attacks are rare elsewhere in China .eijing maintains that unrest in Xinjiang is caused #y terrorist groups seeking an independent state, an account denied #y &ighur rights groups who complain of widespread religious repression and economic discrimination -resident Xi /inping called for 0all$out efforts0 in the investigation and for the attackers to #e punished 0in accordance with the law0, Xinhua said .eijing's top security official %eng /ian1hu arrived in "unming early Sunday and visited the scene of the attack, which came days #efore the opening of the annual session of the legislature, the 2ational -eople's Congress, Xinhua reported 3 knife victim named (ang 4aifei, who was wounded in the chest and #ack, told Xinhua that he had #een #uying a train ticket when the attackers approached 0! saw a person come straight at me with a long knife and ! ran away with everyone,0 he said, while others 0simply fell on the ground0 Some who managed to escape were desperately looking for missing loved ones 0! can't find my hus#and, and his phone went unanswered,0 (ang 5iqing was quoted as saying She said she had #een waiting for her train to Shanghai 0when a knife$wielding man suddenly came at them0 6fficers sealed off a wide area around the station, it added, while Xinhua said police were questioning people at the site )he attackers were dressed in similar #lack clothing, the official China 2ews Service said, citing witnesses

03 group of men carrying weapons #urst into the train station pla1a and the ticket hall, sta##ing whoever they saw,0 it said State #roadcaster CC)' called the incident a 0terrorist attack0 on its 7ei#o account -resident Xi and -remier 8i "eqiang sent condolences to the victims and their families -hotos posted on Sina 7ei#o showed #lood spattered across the station floor and medical staff crouching over #odies lying on the ground, although the authenticity of the images could not #e verified )he photos showed crowds gathered outside among police officers and am#ulances )he injured had #een delivered to hospitals around the city, local television station "9 said 3 7ei#o user going #y the name 4uang(+:in$;ione who was at a restaurant near the scene told how she saw a group of men in #lack with two long knives chasing people, Xinhua reported 3nother eyewitness told the .eijing 2ews that she had seen two women in #lack walking towards the station and that some of the attackers had their faces covered !ncidents involving &ighurs are often la#elled 0terrorist attacks0 while others carried out #y Chinese seen as having grievances against society or the authorities are not !n a high$profile incident in .eijing last 6cto#er, three &ighur family mem#ers set their car on fire at )iananmen Square, the sym#olic heart of the Chinese state, killing themselves and two #ystanders