Government focus of anger as Russia mourns

A NUMB Russia observed the first of two days of national of mourning yesterday for the hundreds of victims of the school siege while criticism mounted on the government over its handling of the situation.

A Russian prosecutor said the hostage-takers belonged to a cell formed by radical Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev.

Mikhail Lapotnikov, a senior investigator in the North Caucasus prosecutors' office, said the investigation also had established the group took part in a June attack targeting police and security officials in the neighbouring republic of Ingushetia. Eighty-eight people were killed in that raid.