Chinese police mount Xinjiang manhunt for fugitive wanted over wounding of 2 people
Authorities say attack took place near border with Kazakhstan and victims are in a stable condition
The authorities did not offer a motive for the attacks but the incident is one of the few publicly reported cases in recent years of intentional harm in Xinjiang – a region that is strictly controlled and politically sensitive.
Police are searching for a 29-year-old herder identified as Kasitiele wanted in relation to the attack last Thursday in Huojierte Mongol ethnic township in Emin county.
The man is a resident of the county’s Woyijiayilao Pasture on the outskirts of Tacheng prefecture, an area in northern Xinjiang close to the border with Kazakhstan.
The pasture is home to 14 ethnic groups, including Han, Kazakh, Hui and Kyrgyz, with ethnic minorities accounting for over 90 per cent of the population.
Police in neighbouring Yumin county said on Wednesday that both victims of the attack were in a stable condition and did not have life-threatening injuries.
They urged the public to report any relevant information and “to not believe, create or spread rumours”.