Armed men take pupils hostage in North OssetiaRuslan Isayev, North Caucasus - At about 9 a.m. a group of unknown armed men seized a school in the North Ossetian village of Beslan and are holding about 200 pupils, teachers and some parents as hostages.
According to information from the North Ossetian Interior Ministry, all hostages are being held in the school’s gymnasium. Although it is impossible to approach the school, a few Russian TV people were allowed to come close.
Our Prague Watchdog correspondent managed to call one of the TV employees who told him that he is near the building and can hear sparse shooting coming out of the school.
The identity of the terrorists is so far still unknown. However, they have been in communication with the police several times declaring that they will announce their demands later.
All North Ossetian power structures work in a special operating mode. Every car with license plates other than North Osetian is checked, and the borders are sealed.
About 12 a.m. the North Osetian Interior Ministry declared that one pupil managed to run away from the building and that then said that all insurgents are dressed in black and there are women among them.
According to unofficial information, the terrorists have already stated their first demand – to start negotiations with the presidents of North Ossetia and Ingushetia and also with a well-known pediatrician Leonid Roshal. Dr. Roshal played an active negotiating role when Chechen commandos took hostages in Moscow’s Dubrovka theatre in October 2002.
Checkpoints in neighbouring Ingushetia have been strengthened, and all streets and roads are being patrolled by additional forces of the Ingush Interior Ministry and other special services.
(S/A,E,T)
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