Life of Guangzhou - Mob Attacks Neighboring Village with Rifles, Bombs

Twenty-eight people were injured in a gunfight between residents of neighboring villages in Jieshi township, Lufeng in South China's Guangdong Province, the Nanfang Daily reported Tuesday.

The report said that very few houses in the Yumin new village remained intact. More than 1,000 Yumin residents abandoned their homes, retreating to a nearby temple for safety.

The fight started at 10 pm Sunday, when armed residents from Meitian village reportedly launched a surprise attack on Yumin.

Lin Wenlong, of Yumin village, was watching television at home when he heard noise outside. Looking out, he was shocked by what he saw.

"I saw at least 200 people, armed with steel pipes and self-made rifles and bombs, standing on a hill 100 meters from my home," said Lin. "They threw the bombs toward the houses in our village as they approached."

Although some covered their faces with masks or helmets, Liu was sure they were from the Meitian village.

The fight continued until 1 pm the next day when riot police arrived at the scene.

The two villages have been fighting for the ownership of a nearby public road, villagers told the newspaper.

But the Lufeng government said Tuesday that the battle was prompted by a recent conflict between the two sides over setting off firecrackers.

All 28 injured were from Yumin new village. Six suffered eyes injuries and were transferred to an ophthalmic hospi-tal from the People's Hospital of Lufeng, where the rest are receiving treatment. No injuries were reported among the villagers from Meitian.

(By Jiang Wanjuan)

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