Chinese Embassy in Bishkek bombing
On 30 August 2016, a car rammed through the gates of the Chinese Embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and exploded. The driver of the car (a suicide bomber) was killed; three embassy employees were injured.[2]
Chinese Embassy in Bishkek bombing | |
---|---|
Part of Xinjiang conflict | |
Location | Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan |
Date | 30 August, 2016[1] 9:30 a.m. |
Target | Chinese Embassy in Bishkek |
Attack type | Suicide car bombing |
Deaths | 1 (the perpetrator) |
Injured | 3 |
Details
The three people wounded were all Kyrgyz citizens who worked at the embassy. The bomber is believed to be a Uyghur, an ethnic group primarily living in the Xinjiang region of China, and has reportedly been engaged in an insurgency in China for decades.[3]
The suicide bomber was the only fatality from the attack. Three Kyrgyz staff members were wounded.[2] The vehicle used was a Mitsubishi Delica.[3] Nusra allied Syrian based Uighurs were involved in the Kyrgyzstan Chinese embassy bombing.[4] A Kyrgyzstan government agency pointed the finger at Nusra allied Syrian based Uighurs.[5] The embassy bombing was ordered by Sirojiddin Mukhtarov aka Abu Saloh who commands Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad in Nusra Front alongside Uighurs in Syria. Khalilova Zoira, an ethnic Uighur ETIM agent was the perpetrator of the bombing.[6] Zoir Khalimov was also given as his name.[7]
Aftermath
Three people were sentenced in connection with the attack. Khasamidin Ismailov was sentenced to 18 years in prison while Hikmatillo Abdulazhanov and Kunazim Mansirova, described as "brother and sister" by Zanoza.kg, were sentenced to 10 years in prison.[8] In addition, in July 2022, the Chinese embassy was hit by a fake bomb threat along with the Russian embassy in Bishkek.[9]
References
- O'Grady, Siobhán (30 August 2016) [12:35 pm]. "Questions of Responsibility Loom After Attack on Chinese Embassy in Kyrgyzstan". Foreign Policy.
- "Chinese embassy blast: Car bomb attack in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan". BBC News. 30 August 2016.
- Nechepurenko, Ivan (August 31, 2016). "Suicide Bomber Attacks Chinese Embassy in Kyrgyzstan". New York Times.
- "Kyrgyzstan says Uighur militant groups behind attack on China's embassy". The Daily Star. BISHKEK. Reuters. 6 September 2016. Archived from the original on 20 May 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- Dzyubenko, Olga (7 September 2016). "Kyrgyzstan says Uighur militant groups behind attack on China's embassy". Reuters. BISHKEK.
- "ГКНБ: Установлены организаторы и исполнители взрыва в посольстве Китая в Бишкеке". Сводка АКИpress (in Russian). 6 September 2016.
- SHIH, GERRY (September 9, 2016). "Rising Uighur militancy changes security landscape for China". BEIJING. Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 6, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
- Putz, Catherine. "3 Convicted for Chinese Embassy Attack in Bishkek". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
- "Bomb threats in Russian and Chinese embassies in Bishkek not confirmed". akipress.com. Retrieved 4 September 2022.