Thousands of villagers help police hunt for Xinjiang terrorists

The farmers head towards the mountains.

Xinjiang launched an anti-terrorism campaign in May last summer after the bombing of a market in the regional capital of Urumqi killed 39 people.

Police have broken up 181 terrorist groups over the past year, the result of a sweeping crackdown in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, local authorities said.

According to the regional government, 96.2 percent of the groups were traced before they were able to commit crimes and 112 suspects surrendered to police.

Residents from all ethnic groups in Xinjiang have played an important role in combating terrorism, as police solved 81 cases as a result of tip-offs during the campaign.

Zheng Liang, a researcher at Xinjiang University who studies issues that affect stability in the region, said terrorism can only be eliminated by collaboration between the government and the public. The government should step up its efforts to communicate effectively with the public, he added.

A screenshot from CCTV shows residents seeking clues.