Kashgar is " one of the most volatile cities in China " , near to the border with Afghanistan and Pakistan , and contains many cultural icons for the Chinese Muslim Uyghur minority . The proximity of the Jihadist activity in Afghanistan and Pakistan serve as an inspiration for Uyghur extremists . Han people form about 20 % of the population and live apart from the local Uyghurs . Anthropologist Dru Gladney said that in Kashgar , " any small incident quickly overheats and boils into something much larger " . From 2003 to 2006 , a Xinjiang-wide " crackdown on extremism " reduced the incidence of terrorist attacks , but alienated many Uyghurs and aided extremist recruitment . In the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics in August , two Uyghur men killed 16 people in Kashgar with a combination truck collision and stabbing
killed 16 people in Kashgar
2008 Kashgar attack
2011 Kashgar attacks