Abdullah Mansour

Abdullah Mansour is a leader of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (also known as the Turkistan Islamic Party and the Turkistan Islamic Movement), a Islamic terrorist and Uyghur separatist organization founded by militants in western China, the Xinjiang region. Its stated goal is the independence of East Turkestan. The group is active in the ongoing Xinjiang conflict. Between 2008 to 2013 Mansour was an editor of his movements quarterly publication Islamic Turkistan, before rising to its leadership.

According to IntelCenter, Mansour was seen in a 2008 video, holding an assault rifle and stating: "We, members of the Turkestan Islamic Party, have declared war against China. We oppose China’s occupation of our homeland of East Turkestan, which is a part of the Islamic world." He threatened coming attacks against the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing.

In an eight-minute audio clip published online by SITE Intelligence Group, Mansour claimed responsibility for the 2013 Tiananmen Square attack which killed five people and injured 38 on 28 October 2013. In the message Mansour warned of future attacks by Uyghur fighters, including one targeting the Great Hall of the People. He is quoted as having stated: "The people have learned who is the real enemy and they returned to their own religion. They learned the lesson."

In March 2014 Mansour gave a rare interview to Reuters, speaking from his hideout in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan, where he is hiding under the protection of the Pakistani Taliban. Speaking through an interpreter, he stated that it was his holy duty to fight China, and promised further attacks. Also in March 2014, Mansour expressed support for the 2014 Kunming attack without taking responsibility for the deed.