Russian Kidnaping Ends With All Hostages Freed Unharmed

A 24-hour hostage drama in a wild, mountainous region of southern Russia ended Friday with commandos freeing four captives unharmed and recovering millions of dollars in ransom money.

Three of the kidnapers were arrested, and the fourth died in a shootout, authorities said.

It was the second high-stakes kidnaping in the area in five months, highlighting the crime wave that is sweeping Russia.

The kidnapers, granted the helicopter they demanded along with a three-man military crew, took off Friday morning from the resort city of Mineralniye Vody with four hostages.

Army helicopters carrying anti-terrorist squads were close behind, said Maj. Viktor Gusakov, an Interior Ministry spokesman in the city.

About three hours later, the kidnapers landed near the village of Bacha-Yurt in Chechnya, a breakaway Russian province known for its fierce warrior culture and ruthless criminal gangs.

Three of the kidnapers were captured almost immediately, said Alexander Kalmykov, a police official in Mineralniye Vody. The fourth gunman tried to flee into the nearby woods and was killed in a shootout, he said.

At least three of the gunmen were identified as residents of Chechnya.

There were conflicting reports about the size of the ransom paid, ranging from $4 million to $10 million.

In Chechnya, Interior Minister Apti Barsnukayev told the Interfax news agency the ransom was recovered in full, but there were unconfirmed reports that the kidnapers had burned some of the money.

And hundreds of thousands of dollars disappeared after the kidnapers tossed handfuls of bills out of the helicopter.

The kidnaping began Thursday near Mineralniye Vody, a resort 800 miles south of Moscow.

Four men armed with guns and a grenade seized a bus loaded with schoolchildren, teachers and parents. Leaving the driver and most of the male passengers behind, they headed for the airport with 29 hostages, including eight children.

With police surrounding the bus, the gunmen threatened to decapitate the children, then demanded weapons and narcotics.

The gunmen later traded the children and one adult for four assault rifles, ammunition, flak jackets, night-vision devices and 100 vials of morphine, Gusakov said.

Early Friday, they freed all but four hostages in exchange for cash, the Mi-8 helicopter and three more automatic rifles.

The kidnaping was similar to one in December, in which four gunmen swapped a dozen schoolchildren for $10 million and a helicopter.

Those kidnapers took off from Mineralniye Vody, but the helicopter’s engine stalled and they had to make a forced landing in the mountains, where they were captured. None of the hostages was injured.