AKIPRESS.COM - Fifty people died in violence on Sunday in Xinjiang, Chinese state media said, in what police called a "serious terrorist attack", reports Xinhua. 

Earlier this week state media reported the incident in Luntai county but gave the death toll as two.

On Thursday a state news agency Xinhua said 40 "rioters", six civilians and four police officers were killed. No reason was given for the delay in reporting.

Violence has been escalating in Xinjiang in recent months.

The region in China's far west is home to the Muslim Uighur minority group. Tensions exist between the Uighur community and the Han Chinese.

The regional government's news portal, Tianshan, said that blasts occurred around 17:00 on Sunday at two police stations, an outdoor market and a shop entrance.

The "rioters" either blew themselves up or were shot dead by police, it said. Fifty-four civilians were injured and two "rioters" were captured, it said.