13 executed for terror, violent crimes in China

Thirteen people were executed Monday for terrorist attacks and violent crimes in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

They were involved in seven cases and convicted of organising, leading and participating in terrorist groups, murder, arson, theft, and illegal manufacture, storage and transportation of explosives, Xinhua cited local courts in areas of Aksu, Turpan and Hotan, as saying Monday.

All death penalties were approved by the Supreme People's Court, as required in China.

The executed convicts planned attacks and killed police officers, government officials and civilians, the proscution said.

They took innocent lives, caused huge property losses, and seriously endangered public security, according to local courts.

In one case, three defendants were convicted of organising and leading terrorist attacks on a police station, hotel, government office building and other venues, killing 24 police officers and injuring 23 others at Lukqun Township in Shanshan county of Turpan prefecture June 26 last year.

"The execution of criminals involved in terrorist attacks and violent crimes answers the calls of all ethnic groups, deters criminal activities, and demonstrates the resolve of the Communist Party of China and the government in cracking down on terrorism," said a spokesman of Xinjiang regional higher people's court.

Also Monday, three other people were sentenced to death by the Urumqi Intermediate People's Court over a terror attack near Beijing's Tiananmen Square in October 2013.

A year-long crackdown on terrorism was launched in China after a terrorist attack May 22 in an open market in Xinjiang's regional capital Urumqi.

The attack, the deadliest in recent years in the region, killed 39 innocent people and injured 94 others.