Plane hijack bid foiled in west China's Xinjiang

Beijing: Passengers and crew on a plane in China's far-western region of Xinjiang foiled a hijacking attempt by six people on Friday, a government website said.

The Tianshan news portal said the hijacking attempt was made just after the plane took off from Hotan in southern Xinjiang for the regional capital of Urumqi. The regional government news site said the six suspects were detained by police after the plane returned safely to Hotan but did not immediately give any other details.

The flight's operator, Tianjin Airlines, said on its website that the plane returned to Hotan 22 minutes after takeoff.

The hijacking attempt was made just after the plane took off from Hotan in for the regional capital of Urumqi.

The airline's report did not give details on the suspects, such as their ethnicity. Hotan has been the scene of recent clashes between ethnic Uighurs (pronounced WEE'-gurs) and authorities. The Uighurs say they resent government controls on their religion and culture.

China's government says it has invested heavily to raise living standards in Xinjiang and that the country faces an organized terrorist threat from radical Muslim groups in the region.

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