A region in China's Xinjiang province has ordered GPS tracking to be installed

The new move was reported in Chinese state media on February 20

All drivers in Bayingol region have to pay 90 yuan (£10.50) a year for the system

It comes as authorities are cracking down on terrorist activities in the region

A region in China's troubled province of Xinjiang has ordered GPS tracking software to be installed in every car in a bid to curb terrorism.

All drivers in Bayingol Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture have been told to install a satellite navigation system, according to state mouth piece Global Times on February 20.

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It comes as authorities in the province have vowed to be tougher and crack down on terrorist activities in the region.

Vehicles run on the snow in Urumqi, capital of China's Xinjiang province

Bayingol Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture is located in China's Xinjiang province

Paramilitary police stand guard outside a mall in Hotan, in China's western Xinjiang region

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Chinese authorities have come up with their own tracking system named Beidou which must be installed in vehicles by June 30.

The system will cost vehicle owners 90 yuan a year (£10.50) and those who do not have the system installed will not be served at petrol stations.

A police staff member told the Global Times: 'All vehicles must install the system so that they can be tracked wherever they go. It also helps car owners to find their cars quickly if it's been stolen or taken.'

XINJIANG FIGURES Muslims in China make up 1.8 percent of the country's population.

Xinjiang province is home to 10.37 million Uygurs.

The province has some 24,400 Muslim mosques Source: Statistic Bureau of Xinjiang

Bayingol Public Security Bureau released a statement on its social media account saying: 'Cars are the major means of transportation for terrorists and also a frequently chosen tool to conduct terrorist attacks.

'So it's necessary to use the Beidou system and electronic vehicle identification to enhance the management of vehicles.'

Uighur men gather for morning prayers at the Id Kah Mosque during Corban (File photo)

Motorists in Bayingol are being made to install a tracking device in their vehicles

In recent years there have been crackdowns by the Chinese government in the region in a bid to curb terrorism which it blames on Islamist militants.

On February 21, the Hotan prefecture in Xinjiang announced that it would be offering a reward of up to 5 million yuan (£583,000) to people who report terrorist activities.

Xinjiang is home to 10.37 million Uygurs who practice the Muslim faith. It is a four and a half hour flight from Beijing.

Many Muslims in the country say they feel victimised by the government who have tightened control on the region.

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On February 15, eight people including three assailants were killed in a knife attack on a crowd at a residential compound in Pishan City.