At least 27 people have been killed in clashes across ethnically divided Lukqun township in Turpan prefecture

This article is more than 7 years old

This article is more than 7 years old

At least 27 people have been killed and three injured in riots in Xinjiang province, western China, state media have reported.

Men carrying knives attacked police stations, a local government building and a construction site on Wednesday morning in a remote town in the Turkic-speaking region, according to Xinhua news agency.

Nine police officers and 10 rioters were among those killed in the clashes in Lukqun township, Turpan prefecture.

Xinjiang is home to a large population of minority Muslim Uighurs but is ruled by the Han ethnic majority. It has been the scene of numerous deadly clashes in recent years, including ethnic riots in Urumqi in 2009 that left nearly 200 people dead.

Three rioters were arrested in the latest clashes, according to the report, and three people have been admitted to hospital.