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Russian Authorities Detain Beslan Suspect


4 February 2005 -- Authorities have detained a suspect they believe may have been involved in the deadly hostage-taking raid on a school in Beslan, in Russia's southern republic of North Ossetia in September.

Sergei Prokopov, a regional spokesman for the Prosecutor-General's Office, said the suspect was detained on 2 February in Ingushetia, which borders North Ossetia. He declined to identify the man.

After a three-day siege by security forces, the Beslan hostage-taking raid ended in a chaotic outburst of explosions and gunfire that killed more than 330 captives.

Russian officials have said one of the attackers was captured and the rest were killed at the school.

Federal Security Service spokesman Yurii Smolyaninov, however, said it was more likely the suspect detained had participated in an attack on police in Ingushetia in June, than in the Beslan school seizure. Earlier on 2 February, officials had said they could not confirm media reports the man had taken part in the June attack.

(AP)

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