An official was attacked and seriously injured in a riot in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Garze in the southwestern Sichuan Province, local authorities said on Friday.

The incident took place at about 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, when rioters attacked the seat of the Donggu township government of Garze County under the prefecture.

"Local officials exercised restraint during the riot and repeatedly told the rioters to abide by the law," an official with the prefectural government said.

But he said "police were forced to fire warning shots to put down the violence, since local officials and people were in great danger" and the rioters would not be persuaded to stop.

The official, who is from the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Garze County, was on an inspection tour when the riot broke out, he said.

Local authorities are investigating the incident.

Also in Garze, a group attacked police officers on duty with knives and stones on March 24, killing one and leaving several others injured.

The two incidents came after the March 14 unrest in Lhasa, capital of Tibet Autonomous Region neighboring Sichuan, which the government said have been organized, premeditated and masterminded by the Dalai clique.

The unrest, involving beating, smashing, ransacking and arson, led to the deaths of at least 18 innocent civilians and one police officer.

Following the Lhasa incident, the Aba County of the Aba Tibetan-Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan also witnessed criminal violence on March 16.

Innocent civilians and more than 200 government personnel and police were injured during the riot, which also left two police stations, 24 shops and 81 vehicles torched.

(Xinhua News Agency April 5, 2008)