Chinese President Hu Jintao sent a message of condolences to his
Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday over the deaths of
civilians in the subway explosion and hostage crisis in the
country.
In the message, Hu Jintao also offered his sincere sympathy to
the relatives of those killed in the tragedy.
Meanwhile, Hu stressed that the Chinese government strongly
opposes terrorism in any form, and condemns the horrible act of
violence against innocent civilians.
He also expressed his strong support for the Russian government
in their efforts to fight against terrorism, maintain national
security and safeguard people's life and safety.
At least 10 people were killed and more than 50 wounded Tuesday
in a suicide bombing attack outside a Moscow subway station.
A total of 354 people including children have been taken hostage
after a group of armed men seized a school in Russia 's North
Ossetia region on Wednesday.
According to the Interfax news agency report, a first group of
26 women and children taken hostage were released Thursday from the
school seized by armed militants.
It was the first release of hostages in two days after a group
of heavily armed men captured a secondary school in the Republic's
city of Beslan.
The release of the hostages was the result of mediation
efforts made by negotiators under Ruslan Aushev, former president
of Ingushetia Republic bordering North Ossetia, according to an
official with the headquarters for freeing hostages.
Fifteen school children managed to escape from the school
Wednesday.
Footage broadcast on the Russian TV channel showed that soldiers
were escorting an infant and a woman with a baby out of the
school.
They sat into a car and left the scene immediately. Several
women were weeping while waited nervously outside the school.
The hostage-taking raid has left 12 people dead, and the number
of the wounded is being ascertained.
A Federal Security Service (FSB) official said Thursday that
Russia is currently ruling out using its armed forces to free the
hostages.
Earlier information said the hostage-takers sought the
withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya and the release of all
terrorists arrested in the raids in the Republic of Ingushetia on
June 21-22.
The hostage-takers had also demanded to meet with North Ossetian
President Alexander Dzasokhov and Ingush President Murat
Zyazikov.
The militants threatened to kill 50 children for every one of
their own killed by federal troops and 20 for each wounded.
Leonid Roshal, a well-known pediatrician who contributed to the
release of hostages during the deadly seizure of a Moscow theater
by Chechens in 2002, had failed to reach any agreement during his
earlier contact with the attackers.
The militants have rejected all proposals made by the
headquarters for the release of hostages, including the offer of
safe passage to Ingushetia and Chechnya and exchange of children
hostages for adult ones.
(Xinhua News Agency September 3, 2004)
