RUSSIA: Rebel resistance in the southern Russian city of Nalchik ended yesterday in a shoot-out around a hijacked bus as president Vladimir Putin promised tough new action against terrorism.
With fighting over in the town, security forces spread into the region looking for rebels who appear to have escaped.
A stern-looking Mr Putin appeared on TV to tell the nation his forces had acted "coherently, effectively, toughly" in retaking the town, and commanders will be satisfied by the quick response.
"Actions must be commensurate with all the threats that bandits pose for our country. We will act as toughly and consistently as we did on this occasion," he said.
The final pocket of eight Chechen rebels, having held out all night in a captured police station, had negotiated with the authorities to have a bus to take them and five hostages out of the town early in the morning.
They had held out all night after battles that claimed more than 100 lives, turning the town's Number Three police headquarters into a fortress in the worst fighting seen in the Caucuses since last year's Beslan High school siege. But as the bus roared away through heavy rain, followed by police cars, the driver lost control and crashed into a tree.
Russian snipers opened fire on the guerrillas and special forces soldiers stormed the bus, killing the rebels and freeing all five hostages unharmed.
Meanwhile, security forces stormed two more rebel redoubts, one in the city prison and the other in a tourist souvenir shop, killing all the rebels inside.
Two days of fighting in Nalchik, capital of the Caucusian province of Kabardino-Balkaria, have left 91 rebels and 24 members of the security forces dead, together with at least 14 civilians.
Another 58 members of the security forces and at least 70 civilians were wounded. Police said 36 rebels had been captured.
"All points of rebel resistance have been suppressed and hostages freed," said Gennady Gubin, Kabardino-Balkaria's prime minister.
Russian units began combing the town and surrounding villages for survivors of the rebel army.
Tensions between the authorities and Muslims in Kabardino-Balkariya have been growing all summer. The authorities have closed mosques and civic organisations, blaming them for promoting extremism, to the anger of many local people.
Meanwhile, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov launched what may be the start of a diplomatic offensive against Britain, complaining about comments on the fighting by Chechen dissident Akhmed Zakhayev, who is based in London, where he has been granted political asylum.