Police say shots were fired in self-defense

ABA COUNTY, Sichuan province: Police opened fire and wounded four rioters "in self-defense" during Sunday's unrest that rocked the Tibetan-inhabited Aba county of Sichuan province, police sources told the Xinhua News Agency yesterday.

Rioters burnt down the police station in the Aba township, attacked police with knives and tried to wrestle away their weapons, an official with the local public security bureau said.

Police fired warning shots, but the rioters did not stop and continued attacking officers, he said.