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Interior Minister Nurgaliyev said that a large-scale complex operation was carried out in Kabardino-Balkaria on October 10, which led to the discovery of a cache of 500 kilograms of explosives.

Search operations on the night of October 13 resulted in the discovery and liquidation of a group of 10 bandits.

Mr Nurgaliyev said that on the morning of October 13, a large group of bandits attacked eight facilities belonging to Nalchik’s law enforcement agencies.

The attack has caused casualties: 24 law enforcement officers were killed and the terrorists’ action led to the deaths of 12 civilians.

Under the command of the group head of the law enforcement operations department, Interior Ministry troops, together with the FSB and the Defence Ministry units began active operations on the morning of October 13 to neutralise and liquidate the bandits.

A group of 2,220 men was formed for this purpose.

As at 8 a.m. on October 14, 72 bandits had been liquidated and 31 detained. Operational and investigation measures are being carried out in Nalchik and will continue.

Defence Minister Ivanov reported to the President that the permanent-alert company that is part of the operations department group fended off a bandit attack on the Nalchik airport.

Mr Ivanov said that the group’s action was well-coordinated and effective.

Mr Ivanov said that a Defence Ministry unit numbering 700 men was in place in Nalchik within two hours of the attack. The unit was made up of the tactical group battalion stationed at the settlement of Prokhladny and GRU [military intelligence] special-forces units.

The unit was mostly involved in sealing off the city, Mr Ivanov said, adding that in the afternoon on October 13, air patrols six kilometres from Nalchik led to a group of seven bandits being detected and encircled.

This group was completely liquidated using military helicopters late at night on October 13, so as not to put the lives of military personnel at risk, Mr Ivanov said.

Deputy Director of the FSB Nikolai Klimashin reported to the President on special operations to free hostages at the local Interior Ministry’s Internal Affairs Department No. 3, where eight bandits took a group of people hostage, including women and children, and at a souvenir shop where three bandits took two women hostage. The special operations resulted in all the terrorists being liquidated and all the hostages freed.

Mr Klimashin stressed that all the freed hostages are “alive and well”.

The special-forces units suffered no losses but three servicemen sustained light injuries.

Mr Klimashin noted that FSB special units permanently stationed in the North Caucasus took part in the operations in Nalchik. Reinforcements were not sent from Moscow.

Mr Putin declared that any terrorist attacks would be dealt with in the very firmest manner.