Turkic Muslim Uyghur and Kirghiz fighters under Emir Abdullah Bughra and other Turkic separatists began four separate attacks over a six-day period on Hui and Han Chinese soldiers led by Gen. Ma Zhancang, trapping them inside Kashgar.

Khoja Niyas Hajji joined the attack with his own Kumul Uyghur fighters after a 300-mile trek from Aksu – from which he was driven out by a force of Chinese Muslims — appearing at the walls of Kashgar on 13 January.

[4] Gen. Ma Fuyuan of the New 36th Division then stormed Kashgar and attacked the Uyghur and Kirghiz rebels of the First East Turkestan Republic.

[5] In April 1934, Gen. Ma Zhongying personally gave a speech at Idgah mosque, telling the Uighurs to be loyal to the Republic of China government at Nanjing.

[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] The Chinese Muslims were referred to as "Tungan tribesmen"; initial reports were that 2,000 Uighurs and several members of the British consulate were killed.