Fatal crash in Tiananmen Square a terrorist attack

A car crash on Monday in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square left five people dead and several more injured. Now Beijing police are saying that the incident was a terrorist attack, adding that it was “carefully planned, organized and premeditated.” Five suspects have been arrested for the crash.

A spokesman for the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau described what happened on Monday. Usmen Hasan, Kuwanhan Reyim and Gulkiz Gini, reportedly drove their jeep into the crowded square, killing two people and injuring 40 more. The car then crashed into the Jinshui Bridge and all three passengers died when the car burst into flames. Two other tourists also died in the incident.

Police report that “a flag with extremist religious content” was found in the jeep, and there is speculation that the attack arose out of tensions between the Uyghurs, a mostly Muslim group, and the Han Chinese. However, a spokesman for the World Uyghur Congress said Wednesday that it is not certain that Uyghurs were involved. “Every time something like this happens, authorities usually point fingers at Uyghurs,” Alim Seytoff said. “The notice should not be taken as the evidence of Uyghur involvement in the incident.”