Three security guards were killed and another injured Tuesday morning in an attack at a road checkpoint near Kashi city, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, according to local police.

The attack occurred at about 9 am at the road checkpoint in Yamanya town of Shule county, according to the county police.

The number of attackers, who remain at large, was not immediately available.

The four security staff were stabbed by assailants who jumped from a vehicle passing the checkpoint.

The town is about 30 km from Kashi city, where a raid on border police on Aug 4 left 16 policemen dead and 16 others injured.

No evidence has been found suggesting a link between the two incidents, according to the police.

(China Daily August 13, 2008)