07.09.2004, 12:03
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Zitat:FSB commandos sustain heaviest losses ever in Beslan
MOSCOW, September 6 (Itar-Tass) -- During the school siege in the North Ossetian city of Beslan the Russian Federal Security Service’s unit of commandos sustained the biggest losses since its creation.
“Several of our officers died while rescuing hostages, and many were heavily wounded. We have never had such losses before,” Eduard Bendersky, the head of the regional association of veteran commandos Vympel, told Itar-Tass on Monday.
In his words, the storming of the school was not planned. “Spetsnaz (special task force unit) always acts according to instructions, and their principal task is to destroy terrorists.”
However in Beslan “our fighters covered hostages with their own bodies”, he added.
Bendersky explained the big casualties by the fact that commandos rescued children. “While our officers were rescuing children, a sniper was firing at them. They died, covering the freed hostages with their own bodies,” he said.
Ten commandos were killed and 26 wounded during the operation to free the hostage in Beslan, power agencies in the Southern Federal District told Itar-Tass.