Chinese authorities say 109 Uighurs, deported from Thailand amid international criticism, had been on their way to Turkey, Syria or Iraq to take part in holy war.
On Thursday, Thai authorities deported the Uighurs, who had claimed to be Turkish, after determining they were Chinese.
China's official Xinhua News Agency said the 109 illegal immigrants had been on their way "to join jihad," and 13 of them had fled China after being implicated in terrorist activities.
It said another two had escaped detention.
Xinhua cited the Ministry of Public Security.
The repatriations were criticised by the UN refugee agency and rights groups.
The Uighurs are a Muslim minority in China's far west.
They've complained about cultural and religious suppression under Chinese rule.
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