Between 10 and 15 people have been kidnapped in Russia's southern republic of Ingushetia. Masked gunmen are reported to have broken into a gambling club some 20 miles north-west of the capital, Magas.
Among those taken hostage were a policeman and three Chechen officers, as well as a number of local civilians. The gunmen forcibly removed the hostages from the club and also hijacked a car belonging to one of the hostages. The current location of kidnappers is not known, nor is their identity, although they spoke both Chechen and Russia. No demands have yet been made by the group.