Live fire near school in Russia (standoff)

CNN ^ | September 3, 2004

[Former Military Chick]

BESLAN, Russia (CNN) -- Hundreds more hostages may be inside a school under siege in southern Russian than first thought, Russian officials have said.

As the crisis entered its third day Friday, a spokesman for the regional government told CNN an earlier estimate of 350 hostages was low.

Two of 26 hostages freed by their captors on Thursday indicated there were 1,000 children, parents and teachers inside the building in Beslan, near the troubled Russian republic of Chechnya.

Relatives waiting outside the school also have said there could be as many as 1,000 hostages, noting that the school has 11 grades with 75-100 students in each grade.

Asked about the discrepancy with the earlier estimate, the regional government spokesman said officials originally accounted only for those children whose parents reported them missing.

But teachers also were in the school when armed attackers seized the building Wednesday morning.

And many of the children -- especially in the lower grades -- were accompanied by their parents and in some cases entire families for a celebration to mark the start of the school year.

"The situation in school very, very dire," CNN's Ryan Chilcote reported from the scene.

"Two of the 26 women and children released yesterday are saying the situation is very bad inside the school's gymnasium where the hostages are being kept.

"At one point the men were separated from the women and children. The men were then brought back into the gymnasium, but there weren't as many of them, and there's no word what happened to the other men."

"There is no food and water. At one point the hostage-takers brought them one cup of water for, as they put it, 1,000 hostages."

[Colosis]

1100: There is speculation that fleeing hostage-takers may have taken some children with them.

[Ros42]

Big Time battle going on!!!

[csvset]

Some reporter on Fox was describing the Chechan's prowess on the battlefield, said they were "brave".

Brave is hardly the word I'd use to descibe those bastards.

[Former Military Chick]

I thought the photo's might interest you. Especially for those who may not be near a TV, lots of gun fire in the back ground as I type this.

Moew victims of terror. Someone needs to get in control and in charge.

A soldier leads rescued children to cover as Russian troops storm a school in North Ossetia where an armed group has held hundreds hostage for three days.

Amid the sound of gunfire and explosions, injured children receive water and treatment from troops.

There are fears that many may have been injured or killed in the violence.

While helicopters hover overhead, a soldier takes aim near the school.

Russian troops take up sniper positions. Reports say some of the rebels were shot dead as they triedto escape.

There is confusion about how many children may still be inside the school.

The fate of many of the adult hostages is also unclear.

A wounded boy is taken to hospital by stretcher.

[Khurkris]

heavy fire now...big white snoke rising...

[Former Military Chick]

I hear explosives. I hear weapon fire and who is in charge?

[TomGuy]

Loud explosions ongoing.

Camera angle only shows rising smoke over an area of trees.

Gym was wired with explosives throughout.

Ongoing machine gun fire are the school.

2 female terrorists may have escaped toward rail area. They were using hostages as shields.

RPG and bigger. Explosions. Surrounding buildings may be were terrorists escaped to and are firing at soldiers. Solldiers may be the ones setting off some of the explosions.

Heavy gunbattle in progress. Parents, children, (there were some 500 inside the school) still coming out and trying to leave area. Havoc and hectic scene. Some terrorists (not inside the school) may have infiltrated into the crowd on the outside waiting.

5 militants killed (so far).

School is relatively in the middle of the city.

[Khurkris]

interfax news - 200+ wounded to local hospitals

[Former Military Chick]

Thank you for helping this thread stay updated during this live event.


I hear the shots. It is unreal.

[toomanygrasshoppers]

"Rag tag military...."


Good Lord. It looks like no perimeters were set up. Civilians are running everywhere and terrorists have been given the opportunity to escape with hostages. We know that Russia has some elite, highly trained forces. Why didn't they send them down there to handle this situation? It looks like they didn't have enought medical personnel or ambulances either. This stand off has been going on for 3 DAYS! They were not prepared. Thank God we live in America.

[TomGuy]

FoxNews commentaries--Russians typically botch such hostage situations.

[There is not quick and clean way to deal with hostage situations like this.]

[Former Military Chick]

FOX -five hostage taker killed

[Khurkris]

[Khurkris]

all hostages appear to now be out of school

[TomGuy]

FoxNews now reporting that all the hostages that were still inside are now out of the building.

Explosions may be soldiers setting off those bombs that were wired inside the building.

[Socratic]

Does anyone know what local time is over there?

[Khurkris]

area around school has been mined by terrs - Interfax News

[atomic conspiracy]

Russian troops in Chechnya will go absolutely berserk when they see this.
The pictures are appalling, a scene from Hell. The children are gulping water, the monsters denied it to them for three days even though it was apparently available in the building. Not even the accursed nazi demons would have done that.
These are true devils, the cruelest and most ruthless enemy ever faced by human beings, crueler than the nazis or the Mongols though not so powerful.
They should be exterminated by any means necessary, PC-touchy-feely media world is dead.
Welcome back to the jungle.

[Khurkris]

terrs may have now moved out of school area...gunfire now in different parts of city as terrs are chased

[boxerblues]

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

8 hr ahead of EST