Authorities in western China said on Monday that police had shot dead eight "terrorists" who launched an attack on a police station in Shache county.

One of the attackers has been detained following the attack, the Xinjiang government news portal Tianshan Net said.

The website said the attackers were armed with knives and explosives.

The region, where mainly Muslim Uighurs are the largest ethnic group, has seen a number of violent incidents this year, with authorities blaming them on what they call "terrorists."

Some observers say, however, that cultural oppression, severe security measures and the continuing influx and economic dominance of China's Han majority have caused the unrest.

The region is rich in oil and natural gas.

The latest violence comes after a clash near the city of Kashgar last month in which around a dozen people, including two police officers, were killed.

In late October, police blamed Xinjiang Uighurs for an attack opposite Beijing's Tiananmen Square in which five people, including the three attackers, were killed and more than 40 injured when a car drove into crowds of tourists.

State media reported last month that more than 190 "terrorist" attacks had taken place in Xinjiang last year, noting a "significant" rise in comparison with 2011.

tj/msh (AFP, AP, dpa)