Some officials in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region have supported and even taken part in terrorist activities, the head of the regional disciplinary watchdog said.

During a time when terrorists in the region have become more active and anti-terrorism operations have intensified, some officials have failed to stand firm, said Xu Hairong, Party chief of the Xinjiang regional Commission for Discipline Inspection.

His comments appeared in a signed article published in the daily newspaper run by China's top disciplinary watchdog, Chinese Discipline Inspection and Supervision, on Tuesday. He did not disclose any details of how the officials were involved or whether they were charged.