Armed men seize Russian school

Armed men seized a school in the Russian region of North Ossetia today and were in a gun battle with police.

There were reports that at least one person had been killed at the school in the city of Beslan.

It was not immediately known how many children or adults were being held, although it was believed hostages had been taken.

The seizure took place on the first day of the Russian school year, when it was likely that a large number of parents had accompanied their children to class.

Beslan about 10 miles north of Vladikavkaz, is the capital of North Ossetia, a republic that borders warring Chechnya.

Vladimir Yakovlev, President Vladimir Putin’s envoy for the southern region of Russia that includes North Ossetia, said: “It is not immediately clear how many schoolchildren and parents have been taken. There is a shoot-out in the area.”