Imam describes Urumqi shootings

URUMQI: An imam at a mosque in Urumqi said yesterday that the three Uygur men who were shot on Monday - two fatally - had attempted to take over a prayer meeting and attacked a security guard before they were shot.

The imam said that about 150 Muslims were attending Monday prayers from 2:30 pm to 3 pm in a mosque on Jiefang South Road when one of the men, who was later shot, stood up and tried to grab the loud-speaker from the imam.

The man was stopped.