Pope Writes Letter to Beslan Residents on 10th Anniversary of Atrocity

The Pope's letter, whose contents are not yet known according to Vatican Radio, marks 10 years since over 300 people, most of them Russian children, were killed after Islamic militants seized their school. 

The Chechen terrorists, who were demanding recognition of the independence of Chechnya at the UN and Russian withdrawal from the area, had taken 1,000 people hostage in the town's school, located in Russia’s North Ossetia. 

On the third day of the hostage crisis Russian security forces entered the school building using heavy weapons, leaving over 300 people dead including 186 children.

The Pope's letter is being delivered by Abbot Paolo De Carli who gave shelter to over 60 Beslan residents for two months at his monastery in the Trentino province in Italy following the hostage crisis, Vatican Radio reported.