BEIJING: Two people were killed and “many” injured by multiple explosions in China's Xinjiang, the local government said Monday.

The blasts struck at least three locations including a shopping area in Luntai County in the region's south on Sunday, the Xinjiang government's Tianshan web portal said.

The Tianshan report did not say what caused the explosions or give a precise number of injured.

Clashes between locals and security forces in Xinjiang — home to the mostly-Muslim Uighur minority — and attacks targeting civilians have killed more than 200 people in the past year.

Beijing blames violence in Xinjiang on “terrorist” groups seeking independence for the region, while rights groups say that cultural and religious oppression of Uighurs has fueled resentment.