Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrived in Vladikavkaz on Tuesday to
supervise a meeting of the National Counter-Terrorism Committee, RIA
Novosti reports.
The airport was operating in normal mode upon his arrival. The
president visited Beslan cemetery, where he laid flowers to the
victims and special forces of the tragedy in 2004.
The terrorist attack on the North Ossetian school N1 in Beslan on
September 1-3, 2004, resulted in 335 people, including 186 children
killed. Terrorists held 1,128 people hostage.
A memorial, the Tree of Sorrow, was built. It is a 9-meter bronze
composition. Four women form a tree, their hands are branches,
children figures with wings are the leaves. Dozens of members of the
Alfa and Vympel special forces and two groups of the Tsentrospas died
freeing the hostages in September 2004. The monument to the special
services and rescuers resembles a bullet-proof vest above a school
book and hiding a child's toy. A helmet is lying next to it.
Measures were toughened in North Ossetia and other regions of the
North Caucasus after the terrorist attack at Moscow's Domodedovo
airport on January 24. The Interior Ministry of North Ossetia
recommended the citizens to remain vigilant and reports about any
people suspected in terrorism to the police on February 11.
Alla Akhpolova, head of the press-service of the North Ossetian
Interior Ministry, said that the main facilities, the airport, railway
stations, bus stations, markets are under enforced police protection.
A police source told RIA Novosti that the police has information on
four or five militants from Kazakhstan planning terrorist attacks.
Medvedev arrived in the North Caucasian Federal District within
several days after the terrorist attacks in Kabardino-Balkaria. Two
unidentified assailants parked blocked a tourist bus at Zayukovo
village on Prokhladny-Azau highway. There were five tourists and a
driver in the bus from Moscow. The assailants demanded them to show
documents and then opened fire. Three tourists died, two were
hospitalized.
A cable way between Stary Krugozor and Mir in Elbrus was blown up the
same day. 30 out of 45 cable cars crashed. There were no injuries.
Three bombs equivalent to 70 kg of TNT were defused in two days. The
bombs were found inside a car parked near the Prielbrusiye Hotel.
A counter-terrorist operation regime started in Elbrus and Baksan
Districts of Kabardino-Balkaria on February 20.
