The Chinese embassy in Bishkek (Photo : Kyrgyz state TV)
China is blaming unidentified Muslim separatists for a suicide car bomb attack on its embassy in Bishkek, capital of the Kyrgyz Republic that only killed the bomber but wounded three non-Chinese employees of the embassy.
China condemned the attack and asked the Kyrgyz government of President Almazbek Atambayev to identify and harshly punish those involved. No group claimed responsibility for the attack but China has had a long history of attributing attacks on Chinese government property inside and outside of China to Muslim separatists.
The Chinese regularly blame separatists and religious extremists for attacks in its Xinjiang province to the northwest that borders Kyrgyzstan. Al-Qaida and ISIS have also threatened to attack Chinese targets in retaliation for alleged repression of Chinese Muslims, particularly those from the Uyghurs that dominate Xinjiang.
Kyrgyzstan is a majority Muslim country that shares its eastern border with China.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying described the three victims' injuries as minor but called for a stern security response at a press briefing in Beijing.
"China is appalled and strongly condemns the violent act," said Hua.
She said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has "demanded that Kyrgyz authorities take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of Chinese institutions and personnel in Kyrgyzstan, launch a thorough investigation to find out the truth of the incident and harshly punish the perpetrators."
The Kyrgyz Ministry of the Interior said the suicide bomber crashed a car through the entrance of the embassy Bishkek, detonating a bomb that killed the attacker. It described the incident as a terrorist attack.
Deputy Prime Minister Zhenish Razakov said the attack was a suicide bombing. The country's spy agency, GKNB or the State National Safety Committee, said they were investigating the bombing that occurred 0400 GMT today.
Doctors at a nearby hospital said the three Kyrgyz victims suffered concussions and multiple bruises Photos from the scene released by the government showed the inner courtyard of the embassy compound strewn with debris. Windows of one building were smashed and walls were pockmarked with shrapnel.
