In what is being called as the first ISIS threat against China, Islamic State militants from the Uighur ethnic minority have promised to “shed blood like rivers” in the country.
According to a Jihadist Tracking firm, the militants in the half-an-hour long video released on Monday are from a division of the Islamic State in western Iraq featuring militants from China's Uighur ethnic group.
For years, China has blamed exiled Uighur "separatists" for violent attacks in its western Xinjiang region – the Uighur homeland. Intelligence reports from Chinese authorities have also warned of the potential for militants to link up with global jihadist groups.
The video shows a Uighur fighter threatening China just before executing an alleged informant.
Oh, you Chinese, who do not understand what people say! We are the soldiers of the Caliphate, and we will come to you to clarify to you with the tongues of our weapons, to shed blood like rivers and avenging the oppressed.Excerpt of SITE’s translation from the video
The video featured images of Chinese riot police guarding mosques, patrolling Uighur markets, and arresting men in what appears to be western China with a parting image of the Chinese flag being engulfed in flames.
A traditionally Muslim group, many Uighurs complain of cultural and religious repression and discrimination by China
(Source: The Times of India)
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