More details of the bombing in Urumqi railway station on April 30, reveal that at least 3 people were killed and 79 injured in the  attack by unidentified terrorists. While the government has not yet disclosed the identity of the perpetrators and neither has any group claimed responsibility, Pan Zhiping, a retired expert on Central Asia at Xinjiang's Academy of Social Science, described the attack as very well organized and timed to coincide with Xi Jinping's visit. He said "It is very clear that they are challenging the Chinese government." "There was a time last year when they were targeting the public security bureau, the police stations and the troops. Now it's indiscriminate - terrorist activities are conducted in places where people gather the most." 

On Thursday, May 1,  dozens of black police vans were parked around the station while camouflaged police with assault rifles patrolled around its entrance, but the railway station appeared to be operating normally. The attack was the first bombing in Urumqi since men planted bombs in buses in 1997, killing nine people.