Chinese security forces announced on Friday that they have killed around 28 members of a "terrorist" organization in the Muslim-populated region of Xinjiang. Beijing has accused Western governments of "double standards" after a US-funded radio station carried a report that Chinese authorities killed several suspected "terrorists" including women and children.

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Yahoo News reported that the 28 suspects were killed during a two-month police operation, which was conducted after a September attack on an Aksu coal mining installation that resulted in the deaths of 16 persons. Local authorities revealed that one of the attackers surrendered.

Xinjiang is a region in China where an ethnic Turkic group called Uighur live. They are mainly Muslims. A great number of them have clashed with the Chinese government, who they accuse of discrimination as well as undermining their cultural and religious identity. Chinese authorities, who deny these allegations, have voiced concerns that Islamic extremists are filtering into the country to radicalize local Muslims after receiving terrorist training in the Middle East.

The Xinjiang cental government located in Tianshan claims that the coal mine attack was the work of a "terrorist organization based abroad."

Chinese state media announced that the names of the ring leaders of the group behind the attack are Musa Tohniyaz and Mamat Aysa.

US-funded Radio Free Asia aired a report on Nov. 20 regarding the attack. RFA said that the attackers, armed with knives, were able to kill around 50 civilians and security forces.

The Chinese government maintains that a group called the East Turkestan Islamic Movement is behind most attacks in the Xinjiang region.

Outside observers, however, believe that Beijing is simply using the group as a scapegoat to impose its harsh pacification policies against the Uighurs in the region, which is also rich with resources. Human rights advocates point out that such policies are the reason why people in the region are resorting to violence.

Beijing does not see it that way and accuses western critics of "double standards." Government officials and state media insists that the country has been victimized by terrorism, comparing it to the recent deadly terrorist attack in Paris.

The Tianshan local government has announced that thousands of civilians belonging to numerous ethnic groups have been conscripted by the Chinese security forces to help in the manhunt for the attackers.

TagsXinjiang crackdown, Xinjiang violence, East Turkestan Islamic Movement, tianshan local government, Radio Free Asia, rfa, musa tohniyaz, mamat aysa, aksu coal mine attack, China 28 Terrorists Killed