URUMQI - Terrorist group the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) was behind the attack that killed three people and injured 79 others at a train station in Urumqi, capital of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, last month, authorities said on Sunday.

According to the region's publicity department, the attack was planned by ETIM member Ismail Yusup outside China. On April 22, he ordered 10 partners in Xinjiang to prepare to strike.

The 10 set off explosives and slashed people with knives at the exit of the South Railway Station of Urumqi at around 7:10 pm on April 30. Two members of the mob, Saderdin Sawut and Memetabudula Ete, were killed by the explosion, and the eight others were caught by police.

Investigation shows that the main members of the gang started to preach Islamic extremism in 2005. Ismail Yusup fled abroad after becoming wanted by police for making explosives, and joined the ETIM in 2013.

Police are hunting Ismail Yusup in cooperation with the International Criminal Police Organization.