China says Muslim attackers wanted 'holy war'

Two Muslim men who carried out a deadly attack on a Chinese police station were carrying documents calling for "holy war", police said Tuesday.

"On the scene, police also found two knives used in the attack and some propaganda material advocating a 'holy war'," a public security ministry statement said.

The statement said the men also used explosives similar to those found in a raid on the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, a UN-listed terrorist organisation, during a raid on the group last year.

Sixteen policemen were killed in the attack in China's Muslim-populated Xinjiang region on Monday, state press reported earlier.

(Agencies)