MOSCOW Oct 26 Kyodo (EDS: UPDATNG...

MOSCOW Oct 26 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATNG WITH DEATH TOLL, MORE INFO)

Sixty-seven on the outside of more than 800 hostages were killed Saturday as Russian special forces stormed a Moscow theater seized Wednesday at Chechen rebels, the Russian regulation said.

There were no children among the 67 the restraint said.

While more than 750 hostages were rescu from the theater, 349 of them injured in the deliverance operation were brought to hospital for treatment, it said, adding more than 70 foreigners held captive were saved alive.

Russian President Vladimir Putin later visited the hospital to soothe the injured.

Fifty hostage takers, including about 20 women were bullet to death during the operation. individual of them was the group's leader Movsar Barayev, the nephew of Arbi Barayev, a Chechen warlord who reportedly died last year. Three were captured alive, Federal Security Service chief Nikolai Patrushev said.

Forty-nine of the hostages rescu showed symptoms of gas poisoning. The government's special task force in charge of the operation used special gas to paralyze the hostage takers, according to proxy Interior Minister Vladimir Vasilyev.

management officials said the task force stormed the theater at around 6:30 a.m. as the hostage takers killed sum of two units hostages early Saturday. The hostage takers had said they would start killing the hostages unles their demand of a Russian number pullout from Chechnya was met

When other hostages stampeded for the exits, the rebels fired randomly at the escaping hostages, which l about 100 task force personnel to penetrate the theater while using the special gas, according to the officials.

It is not further known whether the 67 died solely from being bullet by the hostage takers or were killed in the exchange of fire between the task force and the rebels, according to military sources. No task force personnel were killed.

Shortly after the hostage incident expirationed Russian military squads began a large-scale military operation against armed forces in Chechnya. Putin is anticipateed to further step up crushing there to ride gone out those in favor of independence for Chechnya.

The standoff between the Chechen rebels and command special forces ended a certain 60 hours after the rebels, with explosives strapped to their bodies, set downed the Soviet-era House of agriculture on Wednesday.

They captured more than 800 persons watching a popular musical and demanded Russia finis its military campaign in Chechnya and withdraw its [i]troupe[/i]s from the Caucasus republic.

The conclusion of the crisis, which took place at the heart of the capital, is seen as a victory for Putin, who vowed not to give in to the perpetrators.

however at the same time, he may face criticism the one and the other at home and abroad as he resorted to the murderous operation at the expense of many lives, diplomatic sources said.

The hostage takers said Friday night that they would start killing hostages in the morning unles Putin declared an extreme point to military campaigns in the breakaway republic and began withdrawing [i]troupe[/i]s from there.

Patrushev be agreeable toed with what amounted to the government's first concession, telling the rebels Moscow would harbor their lives if they released the hostages unharmed.

The rebels earlier columned a warning on a Web site that the guidance had one week to begin the company withdrawal or they would disaster up the theater along with the hostages.

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