Riots broke out in China's restive north-western Xinjiang region on Wednesday in which at least 27 people were killed, state media reported.
Police opened fire after a mob armed with knives attacked police stations and a local government building in Turpan prefecture. Rioters stabbed people and set police vehicles on fire.
Seventeen people, including nine security personnel and eight civilians, were killed before police gunned down ten of the rioters, the Xinhua news agency said quoting officials.
One of China's far-flung regions, Xinjiang has been witnessing sporadic clashes between Uighur Muslim and Han Chinese communities. More than 200 people had been killed in Xinjiang, including capital Urumqi, for the last three years.
Turkic-speaking Uighur Muslims accuse China of placing restrictions on their culture, language and religion, which the government consistently denies. China views the Uighur unrest as part of attempts to establish an independent state with the support of certain Central Asian countries.
The government said the latest round of violence broke out after police found "terrorists" hiding in a building during a search for weapons.
Uighur Muslims constitute about 45 percent of Xinjiang's population
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