Russian army takes school for militant base

An army unit that shelled a Dagestani school was aiming for
insurgents hiding elsewhere in the area, the Investigative Committee
said on Friday, RIA-Novosti reports.

As a result of the attack, no one died but the building has been
significantly damaged.

The incident was initially described as part of military exercises, but
the Defense Ministry later said no such exercises were being held in the district
at the time.

An investigation showed that the army was hunting Islamist rebels
around Buinaksk on Thursday night, the committee said.
But the squad commander gave the wrong directions to the mortar crew,
which fired at the school instead of the militant hideout, the report
said.