China's air force has sent off a drone to the site of an earthquake in the far western region of Xinjiang on July 3, Friday, to monitor rescue and relief work, the first time that the country had used an unmanned aircraft to undertake such a task, according to a report by Reuters.
The report said that China's ambitious drone program is part of modernization efforts for the world's largest armed forces, which it intends to use at home and also for export.
According to a statement from the air force posted on the Defense Ministry's website, the single drone was dispatched to the southern part of Xinjiang shortly after the quake hit and "got a timely understanding of disaster relief needs."
The report said that the drone flew over the quake zone for 100 minutes and sent back accurate "scientific facts" about the situation on the ground.
The ministry, however, provided no further details.
At least six people died in the quake that hit a remote and mostly rural region in Southern Xinjiang, the land of the Muslim Uyghur people.
According to Reuters, the air force's rapid deployment of the drone indicates that the Chinese military is already using the drone in Xinjiang, a restive part of the country, where hundreds died in the past few years due to violence allegedly perpetrated by Islamist militants.
Xinjiang is considered as one of China's most politically sensitive areas, as it is strategically located on the borders of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia.
Exiled Uyghur groups and human rights activists blamed China's repressive policies and religious and cultural restrictions as the cause of unrest in the region. The government has denied these allegations.