[Ed note: This is far from a complete timeline events, but it traces the major points from the start of the crisis until the Special Forces declared the ordeal over. It will most likely be updated to include more personal accounts. There are graphic images inside.]

Wednesday, September 1

• Approximately 9 a.m.: Terrorists armed with guns and some wearing suicide belts stormed the Belsan school as children and parents arrived for the first day of classes.

21 year old Kazik brought his sister to school. He tells the journalist what he witnessed. Around 9 am, an old truck pulled up and about 20 heavily armed terrorists dressed in black and wear black masks and 4 women with bomb belts came out.
Children started to run. Those who were standing closest to the street were able to make it out. Terorrists starting pushing others towards the building, and throwing some children through window....

• At about noon, gunfire could be heard coming from the school, as well as explosions. Reports that there are between 200-400 people inside the school.

One woman spoke of trip-wires and bombs."She said the gunmen had their feet on switches and were threatening to blow the school up. 'They have the eyes of madmen,' she said.

• Some time that afternooon, Ruslan Balgatov, the mufti of North Ossetia, attempted to negotiate with the terrorists, who refused to have talks with the Islamic leader. The terrorists then demanded to meet with the presidents of North Ossetia and neighboring Ingushetia.

• Approximately 4pm,. More shots were heard in the school.

It seemed to me that there were ten rebels and two women with them. The women went around and took away everybody's cell phones. They said that, if anyone had a phone hidden, they would kill 20 people for it. Then the women disappeared. I didn't see them again. All the rebels but one took off their masks. One of them had a deep, frightening scar on his neck. He was the kindest of them. Another, who had a long beard and seemed to be the leader, was very mean. When one of the women pulled her clothes off her legs above the knees, he yelled at her to cover herself, berated her and said that we all had to pray to Allah, because Islam is the truest faith. We all prayed, of course, but to our own Gods.

• Around 4:30 p.m. at least 12 children and one adult escaped. They had been hiding in a boiler room, where they ran to right after the terrorists stormed the building.

Geor Batsazova, 13: "All I want to do is see my mother again. We should get those Chechen with knives."

Russia news sources report that a man who answered the phone at the school said he represented the Second Group of Salakhin Riadus Shakhidi, a rebel contingent believed to be headed by Chechnya’s most notorious rebel commander, Shamil Basayev. Basayev's people later denied that allegation, though it turned out that Basayev did, indeed, have something to do with it.

Evening: Terrorists make demamds known.

The armed men taking hostages at a school in Russia’s North Ossetia republic have demanded the release of terrorists captured in the neighboring Ingusetia republic, Itar-Tass news agency said.They also demanded the arrival of North Ossetian president Alexander Dzasokhov, Ingush President Murat Zyazikov and Doctor Leonid Roshal.

• 7:30 p.m.: Contact is made with the terrorists. They agree to let pediatrician Dr. Leonid Roshal into the building.

Thursday, Sept. 2

• About 9am, Russian authorities rule out the use of force.

Relatives of hostages stand around outside the building, waiting for word of their family members.

“No one tells us anything. Some people say the terrorists are Chechens. Some people say they are Arabs. But we don’t know” — Nikolai Dzaparov, husband and grandfather of two hostages.…

• Afternoon: Talks in school gym between hostage takers and Ruslan Aushev, Afghan war hero and former president of neighboring Ingushetia region.

On Thursday, a man in a black suit wearing a black mask appeared among the rebels. We could tell from the moustache sticking out of the mask that that was Aushev. He spoke to the rebels with an assured attitude and we began to hope for release. Aushev went into the teachers' room with the director of the school and some of the rebels. They didn't speak for long. Then Aushev left and the director came back to the gym and broke into tears. And we all understood that it didn't work out.

• 4:45 p.m.: Twenty-six hostages released:

Camouflage-clad soldiers carried crying babies away from a school where gunmen holding hundreds of hostages freed at least 26 women and children Thursday during a second day of high drama that kept crowds of distraught relatives on edge.

Most of the freed hostages came out wearing only underwear. Some were naked.

Hostage Ilfa Gagiyeva: "We were all undressed. It was like a sauna in there. No water or food and we were all burning up with fear.

Some quotes from Dr. Roshal, who has been in contact with the terrorists:

“I am in uninterrupted talks with one Shoikhu-I am not sure I’ve got the name right. The man has introduced himself as [terrorist] press attache. They would not give food, water or medicines to the kids and adults in the school. The man says he is a highlander. I told him highlanders never behaved that way.”

“The release of an initial 26 hostages is certainly a victory-but it’s a mere drop in the ocean. The very fact of someone set free is a big achievement, but a huge job is ahead yet.

[Image from Yahoo. Click for larger version]

Friday, Sept. 3

• Early morning, more loud bangs and gunfire come from inside the building.

• Released hostages inform authorities that there are more than 1,000 hostages inside the building.

One of the released hostages, Adel Itskayeva, told a Gazeta correspondent there were 1,020 hostages in the seized school. When the woman was told the official data - 354 hostages, she was more than just surprised: “Are you crazy? There are 1,020 people in there!” the woman said. [Pravda]

• Around 9am, there are reports that 20 hostages inside the building have been killed.

• Afternoon: Terrorists agree to allow Emergencies Ministry workers to pick up bodies of people killed in the first minutes of the siege. The bodies had been laying outside since yesterday morning.

• As the ambulances approach, explosions are heard. At first, it is thought that the Russian troops have stormed the school, but what happened was the terrorists set off powerful explosives, thinking that the rescue workers were really commandos. The explosions blew the roof off the building.

When they approached the building, the main doors, which had a tripwire attached to it, opened and we saw several of the rebels. The bandits were either checking the explosives or adding some more, and that was when the first blast went off. The doors were blown away with parts of the wall. More rebels showed up almost immediately and started firing randomly. Obviously, they thought they were starting to storm them. They beat the rescue workers. It was clear that they thought they were special forces in disguise.

• At about 1:30, hostages start fleeing the building. Terrorists open fire on them, shooting many children in the back. The commandos return fire. At least 30 women and children have been led to safety at this point.

"They shot at our backs as we were running out of the school. I heard the whine of the bullets. One of the girls who was running close to me was wounded. Two of my friends picked her up and carried her. There were about 50 of us, boys and girls, all senior pupils. Only the older kids could run away. As for the younger pupils, they just couldn't get out of that hell because the terrorists had blocked all the ways out for them. So they could only stay there and watch us running away."

During the day on Friday, I was lying on the windowsill with my face covered with a piece of paper and an explosion went off there in the gym. It deafened me and blew me out the window. It was two meter to the ground. After I fell, a terrible shootout began. I understood that I couldn't stay there and started to run. I don't know where I ran. I crawled over some sort of fence and found myself between two garages. There was a sheet of wood there. I covered myself with it and lied there. I felt explosions going off from different sides but, fortunately, they didn't reach me. I only got scratched on the forehead.

• The roof of the gym has collapsed from the explosion, killing many of the children who were still inside.

• At this point, some of the terrorist begin fleeing the building and running into the surrounding town. Commandos storm the school building.

• About a half hour later, more and more hostages are running from the building. Rescue workers blow holes in the side of the school to help the hostages escape. At least five terrorists have been killed at this point.

• Thirteen escaped terrorists who fleed the school are reportedly holed up in a private home in the area. The home is subsequently surrounded by tanks. At least one terrorists is caught by residents. At first it's reported that they killed him, but that turned out to be untrue.

• There is still gunfire and explosions going on at the school.

• An ITN reporter says that 100 bodies are in the gym, where roof collapsed. Over 500 people have been taken to area hospitals at this time.

• Mine disposal begins.

“The terrorists placed numerous mines in the gym, which are stuffed with bolts and screws to make them more injurious. They are being destroyed by a sapper battalion of the 58th Army,” he said.

• Towards evening, it is known that at there are still terrorists in the building with hostages.

About five of the guerrillas who seized a school in Russia’s North Ossetia region on Wednesday are still inside the building and “are covering the withdrawal of the other bandits." [Interfax]

Later, it was determined that

• Later in the evening, it's announced that at least 10 of 20 dead terrorists were Arab mercenaries. Officials are putting the death at more than 150.

• At this point, 60 hostages have been confirmed dead and identified.

[Reuters image]

• 7:50 p.m.: A strong explosion sounds in school building where hostages had been held, and gunfire continues.

Later in the evening, this report:

“Six hundred and forty-six people, including 227 children, were hospitalized following the terrorist act in Beslan,” sources in the Russian Ministry for Civil Defense and Emergencies and the North Ossetian Health Ministry told Itar-Tass.
“The majority of patients have bullet wounds in the back,” the sources said.

• At 10:45 p.m., Special forces (Spetsnaz) have completed the operation in Beslan.

At least 200 hostages have been declared dead.

Schoolboy to soldier who carried him to safety: "Thank you very much, sir."

[Other Link credit: Allah Pundit, Rusty Shackleford, Logic & Sanity, Belmont Club, Yahoo Photos,Interfax, MosNews]

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