The Hindu : Chechens kill one hostage

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Oct 25, 2002

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Chechens kill one hostage

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW OCT. 24. Chechen rebels holding hundreds hostage in a Moscow theatre have killed a woman and threatened to blow up the building if Russia does not stop the war in Chechnya and pull out its troops from the region within a week.

The body of the young woman with a gunshot wound was removed from the theatre today. It appeared as if she had been killed during the storming of the theatre on Wednesday night, security officials said.

(A PTI report said five hostages were released this afternoon, shortly after four mediators holding white flags entered the building and began talks to end the standoff. And a hostage taker was quoted as having said that he might set free Ukrainian hostages and all other foreign captives, ``whose countries are not at war with Chechnya.'')

About 50 rebels broke into the theatre when a popular musical was on. There were over 700 spectators and a hundred actors in the building when it was stormed. About 200 escaped or were released by the captors in the first hours of the storming, but about 600 are still being held. There are 20 to 60 foreigners among the hostages.

A rebel who contacted authorities by phone said there were 50 "shahids,'' (suicide bombers) inside the theatre, half of them women. The hostages, who were allowed to call their relatives on cell phones, said many rebels carried "shahid belts'' with explosives, and had mined the building. They are reportedly being led by Movsar Barayev, a Chechen warlord.

Two Russian parliamentarians met the rebels today. Red Cross officials have also been negotiating with the gunmen for the supply of food, water and medicines to the hostages. Some shots were heard from inside the theatre during the night as hundreds of security personnel, backed by armoured personnel carriers, sealed the area. Police have evacuated nearby buildings, including a hospital in what could be a sign of a planned storming of the theatre.

No, says Putin

The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, issued a tough statement, making it clear that he was not going to give in to the rebels' demands. He called on the securitymen to free the hostages while taking every precaution not to harm their lives.

``They are the same terrorists who have sowed death and destruction in Chechnya and are now out to spread violence to other regions.''

Mr. Putin has cancelled his visit to Germany and Portugal. His trip to Mexico is also in doubt.

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