Moscow, September 2
Armed militants, holding over 350 pupils and adults hostage in a school in southern Russia, today released 31 women and children as two large explosions and some gunfire were heard in the vicinity amidst indications that the country was preparing for a long drawn crisis.
As hundreds of anxious relatives waited nearby hoping to see their loved ones freed, President Vladimir Putin, who cancelled his trip to Turkey to deal with the crisis, said the release of the hostages held in the city of Beslan in north Ossetia, was paramount.
“All the actions of our forces ... will be devoted to solve this task,” he said.
“Our main task is to save the life and health of those who have ended up as hostages since yesterday”, Putin said.
Itar-Tass news agency quoting rescue operations headquarters said the militants had released
31 women and children while an aide to the north Ossetian President said three women and three infants were freed. It was not immediately clear if the three women and their infants were among the 31 freed hostages.
The aide, Mr Lev Dzugayev, called the release the first success and hoped for further progress in talks with the captors.
Russian media reported that the militants released the 31 women and children following mediation by former president of neighbouring Ingushetia and Afghan war veteran, General Ruslan Aushev.
Earlier, TV channels showed an empty bus, which drove into the area cordoned off by the security forces.
Heavily armed militants, including women, seized the school yesterday and herded over 350 children, teachers and parents to the gymnasium where they are being held captive. They had threatened to kill the children if any assault is launched against them.
At least 12 persons have died since the siege began. The father of a girl who had come to drop her to the school was among the dead.
Indicating that the crisis may linger on, a top official of the Russian security service FSB was quoted as saying that the government was not contemplating using force at the moment and that the process of negotiation could be lengthy and tense.
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PTI
