Police identify Urumqi attack suspects

Police have identified five suspects who took part in a terrorist attack on Thursday that killed 39 innocent people and injured another 94, local authorities said Friday night.

Four of the suspects died in the bomb attack and their DNA have been identified. Another one was caught by police on Thursday night in Bayingolin Mongolia Autonomous Prefecture.

The suspects, Nurahmat Ablipiz, Memet Memtimin, Raghimjan Memet, Memtimin Mahmat and Ablet Abdukadir, had long been influenced by the religious extremism. They took part in illegal religious activities, watched and listened to terrorist violence video and audio materials, according to the police.

They formed a five-member terrorist gang at the end of 2013.

In order to carry out terrorist activities, they bought materials for producing explosives as well as vehicles. They made explosive devices and chose the target for their attack.

At 7:50 a.m. on Thursday, four members of the gang including Memet Memtimin, carried out the attack.

It is the worst attack in five years in the far western region after riots on July 5, 2009 in the regional capital claimed 197 lives and injured more than 1,700.

Two vehicles, without license plates, broke through roadside fences and plowed into people at an open-air market in Gongyuanbei Street near Renmin Park at 7:50 a.m. and explosive devices were detonated, said a statement by the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region's publicity department.