City unites to say farewell

Timeline of terror

• July 2007

Musar Aisanjon, one of the key members of the terrorist group, was questioned by police over suspected terrorist-related activities.

• September 2010

Musar met Kasmu Memet, who later recruited many other members.

• September 2012

The group regularly attended meetings organized by Kasmu, where they watched and listened to materials relating to religious extremism and terrorism. The terror group was formed and its leader was Kasmu.

• December 2012

The group moved to Selibuya township. Members often took part in physical training at a member's home and learned how to kill by watching footage of terrorist attacks. Kasmu also allocated different tasks to the members.

• March 2013

Kasmu asked the group to raise funds for terrorist activities and made explosives, face masks, and remote control devices in preparation for terrorist activities. By mid-March, the group had made eight long knives and tested the explosives five times. They were planning to "do something big" in a crowded public area in Kashgar in the summer.

• April 23

10 am

Instructed by Kasmu, Memetimin Mahmut and Aniwar Abudureyim were making explosives at Memetimin Balat's house.

Around 1 pm,

Memetimin Balat and Abudula Balat returned to the house and found community workers had arrived for a routine visit. Abudula said he was going to fetch his keys, but actually went to report to Kasmu.

Kasmu and five others armed with long knives and other weapons hid nearby. After they saw the community workers had found explosives in the house and seized the men inside, the group then ran into the house.

All three female community workers were killed. Nine others including the head of Selibuya police station, who shot dead one suspect and wounded another, were forced into a room and burnt to death after the terrorists set it on fire with gasoline.

The group then ambushed another backup team consisting of police officers and township officials. One township official was killed and two police officers later died in the hospital. One suspect was shot dead.

After the attack in the house, four suspects ran to the street and set fire to vehicles. One was shot dead when he tried to break into the county government building. Three terrorists hijacked a tricycle and drove to Selibuya police station. They were all shot dead after they set fire to the officers' dormitories and the station's archives.

• April 28

Police in Xinjiang said 25 suspects belonging to the terrorist group carried out the deadly attack in Selibuya township. Six were shot dead at the scene and eight were arrested. The rest of group fled to Kashgar, Bayingolin Mongol autonomous prefecture and Urumqi before they were arrested. Police also found 20 explosive devices and a large amount of raw materials for making explosives. They also found knives, combat training equipment, illegal religious materials and three jihadist flags.