China has cracked two terrorist groups in the northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the Ministry of Public Security said in Beijing on Thursday.

The terrorists, who numbered 45 in all, had attempted to carry out sabotage to undermine the Beijing Olympic Games, ministry spokesman Wu Heping told a press conference.

In the first case, police in Xinjiang netted a 10-member terrorist group led by Aji Muhammat, between Jan. 4 and Jan. 11, Wu said.

The police also seized 18 explosive devices, 4 kg of explosives, seven detonators, 100 kg of raw material for making explosives and "a mass of text materials on starting a 'holy war'" during the raid, he said.

Police investigations indicated that the group was sent by "East Turkistan" separatists from abroad to carry out anti-Olympic terrorist attacks. Aji Muhammat and his gang have confessed to the police, Wu said.

According to the spokesman, under the guidance of the "East Turkistan" movement, the group had been secretly recruiting members and sending them abroad for terrorist training. They had also been raising money to buy explosives.

The members were also ordered to put hotels, government buildings and military facilities in Beijing and Shanghai under surveillance, he said.

"After 13 remote explosive and poisonous device experiments, they had planned to start terrorist attacks using explosives and poison in Beijing and Shanghai starting this May to wreck the Olympics," Wu said.

(Xinhua News Agency April 10, 2008)