At least 30 gunmen stormed a packed Moscow theatre during a musical last night, firing shots in the air and holding several hundred people hostage.
Chechen separatists later claimed responsibility for the operation, on their Internet website. They also said they had planted bombs in the theatre. They demanded immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya, and said they were prepared to die for their cause. Up to 700 people were in the theatre but it was reported that up to 150 were later freed.
The gunmen - who are said to be led by a nephew of Chechen warlord Arbi Barayev - burst into the theatre in the south-east of the Russian capital after arriving in a white minibus at 10.15 p.m. local time. A Russian Interfax news agency reporter, who was in the theatre, said the gunmen had released children.
Muslim members of the audience attending the production of North-East, one of Moscow's most popular shows, were also allowed to leave, Interfax said. Police said they had as yet received no demands from the gunmen.
Gunshots were fired at one point and at least two ambulances were seen outside the theatre.
A woman who escaped the theatre said in a TV interview that men wearing camouflage dress went on stage, fired in the air and said: "Don't you understand what's going on. We are Chechens. We are not hiding it." It was reported that the men had strapped landmines to their bodies and were threatening to detonate them if security services made any aggressive move.
Elite police teams, including the Alpha counter-terrorist unit, were at the scene in the mainly working-class district of the city. Police units sealed off the area in the freezing, wet weather. Nearby buildings were being evacuated.
There were no initial reports of casualties. Police said they believed up to 700 people were attending the show but exact numbers remained unclear.
A man close to tears told a Reuters correspondent: "My friend's wife is trapped inside. She said there are about 700 people trapped inside." One eyewitness, Philip aged 17, a student who lives near the theatre, said: "I came out of the shop and I heard an explosion and automatic gunfire from inside the building. There was one big noise. The police arrived very quickly."