URUMQI - Six people have been detained on suspicion of attacking a journalist, police in Kuitun, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, announced on Monday afternoon.

The police said it was an ordinary criminal case and refuted previous speculation that the victim was attacked because his reports had angered some people.

Sun Hongjie, 38, a reporter with the North Xinjiang Morning Post, was attacked by an unidentified group at about 1 am on Saturday at a construction site. He was declared brain-dead later that morning after receiving hospital treatment.