The Beslan school siege, also called the Beslan school hostage crisis or the Beslan massacre, was an Islamic terrorist attack in the town of Beslan in North Ossetia, Russia, that lasted from 1 to 3 September 2004. Armed militants held more than 1,100 people hostage in a school, including 777 children, under harsh conditions. The siege ended with the deaths of 334 people, 186 of them children, and 31 attackers. It is considered the deadliest school shooting in history.
Background and seizure
Beslan, a town of about 35,000 people in the Caucasus, had seven schools, and School Number One stood next to the district police station. The attack began on 1 September, the traditional start of the Russian school year, when many parents and relatives were present for ceremonies. Gunmen arrived at the school in vehicles, fired in the air and forced people inside. Witnesses later reported that weapons and explosives had been brought into the school in advance, a claim the authorities denied at the time.
Conditions and outcome
The hostages, mostly children, parents and staff, were kept in the gymnasium without food, water or other basic necessities, and the building was rigged with explosives. The attackers, who demanded that Russia withdraw from Chechnya and recognize its independence, killed several hostages during the first day. On the third day, Russian security forces stormed the building, and the resulting fighting and explosions caused most of the deaths. The event led to federal reforms that strengthened the powers of the Russian president, and the government's handling of the crisis has remained a subject of criticism.