SOME SCHOOL HOSTAGES STAY IN BANDIT HANDS

BESLAN, NORTH OSSETIA, September 3 (RIA Novosti) - Not all school hostages have been rescued for now, says Valeri Andreyev, North Osset board chief of the Federal Security Service, or FSB. Twenty terrorists died in the ranger school storm-half of them Arabs, he pointed out to a media audience.

Presumably, more than 150 hostages perished, says Aslambek Aslakhanov, federal presidential adviser. As talks were on, the terrorists said they were holding 1,200-but then, they could mention whatever figures they liked, he remarked.

"A blast came inside the school just when rescuers were removing victims' bodies. Another several blasts closely followed in the heavily mined premises. The kids ran for their life. The bandits were shooting them in the back. They battered several children with rifle butts. Federal rangers rushed to the rescue. That was how the battle started. No one thought things would take that turn-we were negotiating to sever the knot with no violence," said Mr. Aslakhanov.

Rescuers have now started to clean the debris inside the school, he added.