| 1997 Ürümqi bus bombings | |
| Partof: | the Xinjiang conflict |
| Location: | Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China |
| Type: | Bus bombing |
| Fatalities: | 9 (including 3 children) |
| Injuries: | 28 |
| Perps: | Uyghur separatists |
On February 25, 1997, 3 bombs exploded on 3 buses (lines 2, 10, and 44) in Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China. 9 people were killed, including at least 3 children, and a further 28 were injured. Another 2 devices in the south railway station (the main station in Ürümqi) failed to explode. Steel balls, screws, and nails were found in the bombs.
Uyghur separatists had committed the bombings. Responsibility for the attacks was claimed and acknowledged by factions of certain diaspora Uyghurs.[1] [2]
Continuing tensions in Xinjiang have been a source of terrorism in China. Conflicts over Uyghur cultural aspirations resurfaced during the 1960s. In early February 1997, the execution of 30 suspected separatists[3] who had been involved in the organization of Meshrep[4] during Ramadan resulted in large demonstrations, culminating in the Gulja incident on February 5, where at least 9 protesters were killed.[5]