Yunnan stops extremists trying to cross border

Southwest province is one of the main gateways for those looking to illegally join war in Syria

Police in Yunnan province have thwarted 132 attempts and captured 553 extremists who tried to cross the border and travel to war zones overseas since 2014, the provincial publicity department said on Thursday.

As of June, police have captured 35 people who planned to illegally cross the border and participate in the Syrian conflict, and shot and killed four terrorists during the process, Dong Jialu, deputy head of the Yunnan Provincial Public Security Department, said at a news conference.