China: Twelve dead in Xinjiang violence

Clashes that killed 12 people in China's western region of Xinjiang were caused by "terrorists", Chinese state media report, citing police. Six people were shot dead by police and six were killed in explosions in Xinjiang's Aksu prefecture on Friday, state media said. Xinjiang, home to the Muslim Uighur minority group, sees sporadic clashes. Verifying reports from the region is difficult because the information flow out of Xinjiang is tightly controlled. Authorities traditionally blame extremists for outbreaks of violence, while Uighur activists point to tight Chinese control as a cause of tensions, according to BBC.