Moscow, September 1
Heavily armed Chechen suicide bombers today stormed a school in southern Russia and took more than 400 persons, including 200 children, hostage, demanding the withdrawal of federal forces from the strife-torn republic of Chechnya and the release of arrested colleagues from jails.
At least two persons were killed and nine injured after the militants, both men and women numbering up to 20 and clad in black “fidayeen” garbs, poured into the high school compound in the Caucasian town of Beslan in the republic of North Osetia at 9 am (local time), shortly after the ceremony of the beginning of the new school year, and took parents, pupils and teachers hostage, Itar-Tass news agency reported.
At least one of the attackers was also killed in the shootout with the police, the state-run Rossia channel reported.
A schoolboy, who managed to escape with about 50 other pupils, told NTV network that all hostages had been locked in the indoor sports gymnasium.
Russian media reports suggested that the militants had fortified the school building by planting landmines along its perimeter and marksmen were positioned on the roof of the school.
The militants, who have threatened to blow up the school along with hostages in the case of storming by the security forces, have placed small children before the windows.
North Ossetia, the Russian Caucasus’ only Christian province, borders on Chechnya.
Local authorities said they were in contact with the militants.
At noon a North Osetian mufti entered into the besieged school to persuade the attackers to release the children, Itar-Tass reported.
The attack came a day after a suicide bombing in Moscow killed 10 persons and injured dozens others. It also came a week after the crash of two Russian airliners that killed more than 90 persons. Both incidents have been linked to the Chechen rebels.
— PTI
