Discrepancy in assailant numbers ‘not a sign of bid to close case before NPC meet’

WHEN news of the Kunming terror attack last Saturday first broke, state media was reporting that there were 10 assailants involved. But by Monday night when the security ministry declared the case successfully cracked, the number had been reduced to eight.

Yet, the discrepancy in numbers is no indication that there has been an attempt to conclude the case quickly before the start of the National People’s Congress legislature sessions today, say counter-terrorism experts.

Instead, they believe China is eager to boost public confidence amid swirling rumours of more attacks in south-western Kunming city and elsewhere that are already prompting heightened security in many cities and tighter control on Chinese media reporting on the country’s worst terror attack.

… Terrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies pointed out that the United States also took some time to identify those involved in the 9/11 attacks.