Beijing: About 300 Chinese extremists are fighting with dreaded IS militants in Iraq and Syria, the state media reported on Tuesday, raising concerns in China about its impact on the already restive Xinjiang province.
A report in the state-run Global Times said that Chinese members of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), blamed for carrying out terror attacks in Xinjiang, are travelling to Syria via Turkey to join the ISIS.
“According to information from sources, including security officers from Iraq’s Kurdish region, Syria and Lebanon, around 300 Chinese extremists are fighting with IS in Iraq and Syria,” the Global Times report said.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry, however, declined to confirm the number. “I have no specifics available,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Qin Gang told a media briefing while replying to a question on the report. (PTI)
