(2 Sep 2004)

1. Pan from truck with Russian troops to bus rushing from the site
2. Pan from ambulance at site
3. Wide shot of released child carried by woman in pink top and helped by soldier
4. Another child being carried by soldier, ambulance passing by
5. Wide of scene, another child being carried by woman
6. Wide of relatives approaching the barrier to hear news
7. Mid shot of relatives walking around the barrier
8. Various of crowd in a square waiting for news of the release of women and children
9. SOUNDBITE: (Russian) Lev Dyugayev, Local official:
"We have reached the first results. 27 people were released. All of them are women and children."
10. Wide of two ambulances standing by, medical staff nearby
11. Russian troops standing by, relatives behind the barrier in the background
12. Another soldier pointing to scene, showing something to woman
13. Wide of ambulance reversing and leaving scene
14. Mid shot of relatives watching the scene behind barriers
15. Another ambulance leaving scene
16. Mid shot of Russian soldiers talking near relatives waiting for news behind the barrier
17. Wide shot of several ambulances leaving scene
18. Wide of Russian truck with soldiers driving towards the scene
19. Various of exhausted soldiers resting
20. Wide of Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) with soldiers on top
21. Mid shot of woman watching the scene
22. Mid shot of APC driving slowly

STORYLINE:

Heavily-armed militants released at least 31 women and children on Thursday from the provincial Russian school in Beslan where they are holding more than 350 hostages for the second straight day, officials said.

The rescue operation's headquarters reported that 26 women and children were released in one group, and that another group included three women and two children.

A Russian official talking to the crowd of relatives in Beslan said that 27 women and children were released.

Lev Dzugayev, an aide to the North Ossetian president had different figures: he said that three women and three infants were released.

Television crews at the site filmed some of the released hostages.

An APTN reporter saw two women and at least three children in soldiers' arms, and APTN footage showed five women and three children.

Russian television showed camouflage-clad men carrying babies, one wrapped in a blanket and one without a shirt.

On other reports, regional parliamentary spokeswoman Fatima Kabalova said that several elderly women and a group of children were released, but gave no numbers and did not indicate whether she was referring to the infants released.

She said the releases were not announced publicly to avoid a crush from media and anxious relatives.

There was no immediate explanation of the discrepancies in numbers.

Officials at the crisis headquarters said the releases came after mediation by Ruslan Aushev, an Afghan war veteran and former president of the neighbouring Ingushetia region, who is a respected figure in Russia's troubled North Caucasus region.

After the release, ambulances left the scene while more than 2,000 anxious relatives continued to concentrate near the cordoned-off area, waiting for news.

Military activity could be seen around the school area.

The releases came amid heightened tension after two large explosions roared out on Thursday afternoon, followed by a plume of black smoke rising from the vicinity of the school.

The rescue operation's headquarters said militants in the school fired grenade launchers at two cars that had apparently driven too close to the building.




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