Agence France Presse reports that Russian security forces foiled a mass hostage-taking by pro-Chechen rebels in southern Russia on the scale of the bloody Beslan school massacre.
AFP quoted Nikolai Gryaznov, head of the FSB security service in Dagestan:
"The bandits destroyed in Kaspiysk and Makhachkala were preparing a terrorist act similar to Beslan," the Interfax news agency quoted Gryaznov as saying.
"We made use of intelligence information, carried out dozens of raids and searches. This allowed us to corner the criminal group preparing terrorist acts," he said.
According to AFP a member of the Russian parliament from Dagestan told journalists that the militants had planned to seize a school:
"It was the same plan as Beslan, they were preparing to seize a school," lawmaker Gadzhi Makachev told the NTV channel.
The BBC reports that the Russian newspaper Kommersant says allegations about the rebels planning an attack similar to Beslan is "an attempt to justify the incompetence of security forces".
Three cheers for the Russian Security forces.
It's incomprehensible that these evil doers could even contemplate conducting another Beslan. Hell is way too nice for such beings.
Thanks to Betsy Newmark for the tip.
I love your site and find it to be a wonderful resource. Thank you for taking the time to put it all together.
Posted by: fhkdghkh | Monday, October 24, 2005 at 01:24 PM