Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Tuesday Marks 11th Anniversary of School Attack in Russia by VOA News Tuesday will mark the 11th anniversary of an attack by Islamic militants on a school in Russia's North Caucasus region that killed more than 340 hostages, including 186 children. The three-day siege and massacre that started on September 1, 2004, at School Number One in Beslan, a town in the republic of North Ossetia, is one of the bloodiest terrorist acts ever in Russia. The attack began on the first day of the school year. About 30 mostly Chechen and Ingush Islamic militants seized the school and killed several adults before taking more than 1,100 people hostage, including nearly 800 children. During a 52-hour standoff, most of the hostages were held in the school's gym, where temperatures soared and no food or water was provided. On the third day, some of the hostages were released and the bodies of some adults killed on the first day were collected. But a sudden series of powerful explosions was followed by a fire that engulfed the gym and caused its roof to collapse. In response, Russian security forces backed by tanks stormed the building and fought a battle against the hostage-takers, leading to the deaths of more than 340 hostages and 186 children. Hundreds of other people were wounded, and others were reported missing. The group that carried out the attack was allegedly controlled by Chechen separatist leader Shamil Basayev, who was killed in 2006. Basayev worked with jihadist militants such as Ibn al-Khattab, a Saudi national with close connections to al-Qaida. __________________________________________________________________ [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/tuesday-marks-11-anniversary-of-schoo l-attack-in-russia/2940302.html References 1. http://www.voanews.com/content/tuesday-marks-11-anniversary-of-school-attack-in-russia/2940302.html