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VOA: China Sends Anti-Terrorist SWAT Unit to Xinjiang

China has deployed its top anti-terrorist "Snow Leopard Commando Unit” to Aksu City, 286 miles west of Xinjiang district. According to China Daily, two incidents of violence took place in the area in July, causing more than 20 deaths. On August 12, 2011, Zhang Chunxian, the head of Chinese Communist Party in Xinjiang, told the media that, lately, violent attacks have occurred frequently in Xinjiang and the government needs to use both soft and hard measures to fight back.

The “Snow Leopard Commando Unit” is a special police force directly controlled by Beijing. It was formed in December 2002 and participated in the US-Russia anti-terrorist exercise in 2007. China Daily disclosed that the “Snow Leopard Commando Unit” will also handle security for the "China-Eurasia Expo," which will take place in Urumchi in the first week of September.

Source: Voice of America, August 13, 2011
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/news/20110813-CHINA-UNREST-127650223.html