The ethnic Uyghur-dominated southern part of Xinjiang has witnessed increasing separatist violence by Uyghurs who want to establish an independent state . On April 18 and 21 , there were two fatal incidents of Uyghurs stabbing Han Chinese in the city of Kashgar . In July , Uyghur attackers seized a police station , threatened hostages , and battled police in a standoff that would ultimately end in 18 deaths . In that same month , a group of Pakistan-trained Uyghur youths killed 14 people in a vehicular , IED and knife attack in Kashgar
Uyghur attackers seized
2011 Hotan attack
Pishan hostage crisis