BESLAN.

BESLAN, Russia (AFP) ??” Militants fre 26 women and toddlers yet kept hundreds more locked up in a southern Russian drill without food for the third day in a crisis that President Vladimir Putin said should not be resolv from force in the short time

As dawn broke for a like reason did gunfire and the realisation by dint of panicked mothers -- their faces contorting in tears -- that their children were trapped in the chilly and surrounded by masked guerrillas and no clear command rescue plan.

Taimuzar, individual of many here who believes up to 1000 folks may be in the exercise and not the 330 reported by means of officials, said he has not eaten or slept for three days.

"How can I sleep? They are not sleeping. in what way can I eat? They are not eating," said the man, whose sister and her sum of two units daughters are trapped inside.

There were stirring pageants Thursday as gun-toting men