At least 16 police officers were killed and an equal number of people were injured after two assailants lobbed grenades at a group of police officers jogging in Kashgar in the largely Muslim region of Xinjiang in western China, according to China’s state-run news agency, Xinhua. The agency called the incident, which also involved an attempt to ram a truck into the police group, “suspected terrorism.” Two suspects were arrested, Xinhua said.

Chinese officials have described a Muslim separatist group based in Xinjiang, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, as one of the top terrorist threats to the Olympic Games.

State-run news outlets have also reported shootouts and an attempted highjacking by the group in recent months. The reports have not been independently confirmed by Western news organizations.

The American government has listed the East Turkestan group as a terrorist organization. However, American officials and human rights groups have also criticized China for heavy-handed rule in the region and for failing to respect legitimate protest by the Uighur Muslims, who live under de facto control of Han Chinese from the country’s east.

ABANDONED BAGS CAUSE SECURITY JITTERS IN BEIJING, SHANGHAI

Abandoned suitcases in Beijing and Shanghai caused significant disruptions, as police jittery about Olympic Games security feared that the bags might contain explosives. At a Beijing subway station, Babaoshan, yesterday, and at a Shanghai branch of the supermarket chain Tesco on Sunday, the public was evacuated for a time as authorities investigated the suspicious packages. Local press reports said the Beijing incident was caused by a young woman talking on her mobile phone who simply forgot about her bag. She was taken in for questioning, the reports said.

OLYMPIC PROTEST RULES SET

Chinese and foreign visitors seeking to protest in Beijing during the Olympic Games will need to apply for a permit five days in advance, a state-run newspaper, China Daily, reported yesterday. Chinese officials announced last month that they would permit protests in three Beijing parks distant from the main Olympic venues. “The application should clarify the purpose, time, route and process of the activity, the posters and slogans to be used, the estimated number of participants and the specific use of sound facilities,” the newspaper said. According to the new rules, Chinese protest organizers must submit their applications to local police, while foreigners can apply through a government office that handles visa renewals. Officials will make a decision at least two days before the proposed protest and if they fail to do so, the protest can go forward, the report said.

It is unclear whether China will permit protests on sensitive issues such as Tibet and Darfur. “It must be stressed that citizens must respect and not harm others’ freedom and rights, and must not harm national, social and collective interests,” a Chinese Olympic official, Liu Shaowu, said. The China Daily report said Chinese law forbids any protest that “instigates division among the people.”

6,000 ASSIGNED TO KEEP LIGHTS ON FOR OPENING CEREMONIES

Power authorities in Beijing have assigned 6,000 workers to ensure there is enough electricity for the Olympic Opening Ceremonies on Friday, the German press agency, DPA, reported. Owing to Beijing’s muggy weather, there are fears that thunderstorms could produce an embarrassing black-out when millions or perhaps billions tune in to watch the Olympic festivities kick off at the newly built “bird’s nest” stadium. About 10 megawatts of power will be needed to stage the event, the agency said. Even if the lighting is unaffected, surges could knock out television equipment. In June, television coverage of a major soccer match between Germany and Turkey was lost for 18 minutes. The match was being played in Basle, Switzerland, but thunderstorms at a television center in Vienna, Austria, were blamed for the dead air.

ROGGE: GAMES CAN EASE EARTHQUAKE WOE

The president of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge, told a meeting of that body on Monday that the Olympics could help China recover from the devastating May earthquake that killed a reported 70,000 people in Sichuan province. “All of us in the Olympic Family hope that the Beijing Games will help the healing process in China and deepen the world’s knowledge of this remarkable country,” he said, according to Xinhua.

Mr. Rogge also said the Games should help China improve its infrastructure and environment. “I believe history will view the 2008 Olympics as a significant milestone in China’s remarkable transformation,” he said.