Rebels release several hostages

Rebels have released 26 women and children from the school captured in Beslan.

The Caucasian Knot correspondent reported earlier that as of 16:40 Moscow time, 7 women and 3 babies were released from the school captured yesterday. The released hostages went away in a car of Ruslan Aushev, the ex-president of Ingushetia, Reuters reported. Another group of hostages was released later. Thus the total number of released hostages came up to 26 people.

One of the women with babies released in North Osetia was taken to hospital, the RIA Novosti information agency reported referring to a spokesperson for the Emergencies Ministry's operational headquarters deployed in school 6 in Beslan. "A perfunctory inspection showed the woman and baby feel quite normal. Psychologists talked to them and tried to ease the stress," the spokesman said.

The first group of hostages was released in Beslan due to the efforts of the headquarters' negotiators by the mediation of Ruslan Aushev. A spokesman for the operational headquarters to settle the hostage-taking crisis, chaired by President of North Osetia Aleksandr Dzasokhov, informed journalists about it.

It was also reported yesterday that 15 children managed to escape from the school. At the moment of capture, they were hiding in a boiler-house trying to have a smoke behind teachers' back.

So far the rebels have rejected suggestions to provide the hostages with water, food and medicines and exchange a group of hostages.