Stavropol Territory commemorates Budyonnovsk victims

Today, the Stavropol Territory holds mourning actions in memory of the victims of Shamil Basaev's attack on Budyonnovsk in June 1995.

This day started in the city with commemoration services in temples. The minute of silence in memory of the victims was held at 12:20 a.m. - right when the hostages were taken.

The memorial meetings take place near the city militia department, in the Memory Mini-Park at the district hospital and at the monument to soldiers of the local helicopter regiment. Requiems will be held in the city cemetery, where the casualties are buried, and in the chapel erected in the territory of the hospital, the ITAR-TASS reports.

On June 14, 1995, about 200 nicely armed militants headed by Shamil Basaev attacked Budyonnovsk, took more than 1500 persons as hostages and kept them in the building of local hospital without food and water for 6 days. During the attack 129 persons were lost, 415 persons received various-gravity wounds, 18 of them died later. In the course of the attack on the city over 160 municipal buildings and premises were completely or partially destroyed.

Earlier, courts have passed verdicts to 20 militants who took part in the attack on Budyonnovsk. Some attackers are still searched, as the "Echo Moskvy" Radio reports.