Beijing - A soldier was shot dead at his sentry post outside a garrison in south-western China by unidentified attackers who ran off with his submachine gun, state media said Friday.

The attackers shot Han Junliang, 18, Thursday evening outside a People's Liberation Army garrison in the city of Chongqing, the official Xinhua news agency quoted local police as saying.

Police and soldiers were jointly combing the city to search for an unknown number of attackers, the agency said.

State media have reported criminal gangs using military weapons and other hardware, even armoured personnel carriers, in recent years. (dpa)