1997 Ürümqi bus bombings

1997 Ürümqi bus bombings
Location of Ürümqi in Xinjiang, China
Location	Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China
Date	February 25, 1997 (1997-02-25)
Attack type	Bus bombing
Deaths	9 (including 3 children)
Non-fatal injuries	74
Perpetrators	Uyghur islamists

On February 25, 1997, three bombs exploded on three buses (line 10, line 44, and line 2) in Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China. Nine people were killed, including at least three children, and a further 74 were injured. Another bomb in the south railway station (the main station in Ürümqi) failed to explode. Steel balls, screws, and nails were found in the bombs.

Uyghur Islamists had committed the bombings. Responsibility for the attacks was claimed and acknowledged by factions of certain diaspora Uyghurs.

Continuing tensions in Xinjiang have been a source of terrorism in China. Conflicts over Uyghur cultural aspirations resurfaced during the 1960s. In early February 1997 the execution of 30 suspected separatists who had been involved in the organisation of Meshrep during Ramadan resulted in large demonstrations, which culminated in the Gulja incident on 5 February, in which at least nine protesters were killed.