The Chinese government has acknowledged for the first time that police killed 12 people during July 5 unrest in western China but put the blame squarely on rioters, saying they stockpiled weapons and planned synchronised attacks on targets across the city of Urumqi.

Chinese police killed 12 people during July 5 rioting in the western city of Urumqi, a senior official said – a rare acknowledgement by the government that security forces opened fire in the worst ethnic clashes to hit the region in decades.

A Chinese official said a flight crew prevented a planned terrorist act aboard a Chinese jetliner last week.