On September 1, 2004, a group of armed Chechen separatists stormed School Number One in the Russian town of Beslan, North Ossetia. The attackers took more than 1,100 people hostage, including 777 children. The siege lasted for three days, during which time the terrorists subjected the hostages to torture and inhumane conditions. On the third day, Russian security forces stormed the school. In the ensuing battle, more than 330 people were killed, including 186 children.

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