China's domestic security chief has labeled the incident an act of violent terrorism. China has blamed a string of violent attacks in recent months on militant separatists from Xinjiang. This comes as a Chinese flight from Shanghai to the western city Urumqi was forced to land in Nanjing due to "national security reasons", an airline employee said.
The employee of Shanghai-based Juneyao Airlines Co. Ltd., reached by phone, declined to give his name and said he could not provide any further information.
International positions: The White House on Thursday said the United States condemned what it called a "horrific terrorist attack" in Urumqi, China that killed 31 people and injured 90 others, the deadliest act of violence in years in China's troubled Xinjiang region. "This is a despicable and outrageous act of violence against innocent civilians, and the United States resolutely opposes all forms of terrorism," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement. REUTERS