A total of 24 people, including 16 Uygurs, were killed by a group of mobs in a violent terrorist attack that took place in Lukqun township, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on Wednesday morning, Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday night.

The attack happened around 5:50 am in the township in Turpan prefecture's Shanshan county, about 250 km from the regional capital Urumqi.

Several terrorists attacked the police station, the township government and a construction site next to the government building. They also set fire to police vehicles. Eleven mobs were shot dead at the scene and four were arrested.

Earlier report said that 17 people — nine police officers and security guards and eight civilians — were killed before police opened fire and killed 10 knife-wielding mobs. Three people were injured by the mobs and were being treated at a hospital.