China says kills 18 militants in restive west

BEIJING, Jan 8 (Reuters) Police killed 18 people described as terrorists in a gunbattle in northwest China's Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, Xinhua reported today.

One policeman was killed and another wounded in the clash on Friday in the mountains of Pamirs plateau in south Xinjiang, Ba Yan, a spokeswoman for the Xinjiang Public Security Department, told the news agency.

She said police captured 17 others and were pursuing several more after destroying what she described as a terrorist camp.

China has waged a relentless campaign against what it calls the violent separatist activities of Uighur Muslims in the far-northwestern region, which borders Pakistan, Afghanistan and three former Soviet Central Asian republics.

Pakistan and China held joint military exercises last month aimed at fighting terrorism.

REUTERS AB BD1827