China admits fear of Muslim terror as police kill 18 in mountain battle
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,25689-2539374,00.html
China revealed the depth of its fear of Islamic-linked violence yesterday when police disclosed that they had killed 18 terrorists and captured another 17 after a fierce battle at a secret training camp in a remote northwestern region.
It was the first time that China had announced the discovery of such a camp in its territory. Officials said that they had uncovered links between the activists and international terrorist groups, hinting at connections to al-Qaeda.
The clash in the Pamir mountains on Friday was one of the deadliest for years in the restive Xinjiang Uighur autonomous region, where 8.5 million Muslims make up most of the population. One policeman was killed and a second wounded.
There are 20 million Muslims in China; 8.5 million live in Xinjiang
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Map at the link shows that the Muslim region is near Afghanistan and Pakistan.