Armed Men Hold Theater Audience Hostage in Moscow

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, October 24, 2002

Armed Men Hold Theater Audience Hostage in Moscow

A group of unidentified gunmen seized a Moscow concert hall Wednesday and held some 700 audience hostage, the Itar-tass news agency cited law enforcement sources as saying.

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A group of unidentified gunmen seized a Moscow concert hall Wednesday and held some 700 audience hostage, the Itar-tass news agency cited law enforcement sources as saying.

The Interfax news agency said one of its reporters was inside the concert hall at the time of the raid. She said by telephone that there were about 20 gunmen, who had fired into the air, on the hall. They prevented the audience from leaving the theater, but allowed them to make telephone calls.

The reporter said some of the gunmen were armed with assault rifles. She also claimed the gunmen were of Caucasian origin.

According to the reporter's latest call, the attackers had started letting children out of the hall.

The concert was holding a performance of the musical Nord-Ost, one of the Russian capital's most popular productions.

Interfax said police units and an Alpha special forces unit were on their way to the scene.

Russian presidential press secretary Alexei Gromov said President Vladimir Putin had been immediately informed of the takeover.

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