Conditions in Russia's North Caucasus city of Nalchik were reported to be calm Friday after Russian forces raided several rebel hideouts overnight, freeing at least 16 hostages being held by Chechen rebels, capping two days of violence which had left a reported 131 persons dead, DPA reported. Eight suspected militants holding fives hostages in a police station were killed as they attempted to escape the city in a minibus, said a spokesman for the city's attorney general's office. All five hostages were released unharmed although it was unclear whether they were onboard the bus with their captors when police opened fire. In a separate operation security forces freed nine people held hostage by rebels in a building used by judicial authorities, a justice spokesman confirmed. According to eye-witness reports police also entered a souvenir shop occupied by rebels and shots were heard. Three militants were reportedly holding at least two people hostage in the premises. Using a tank, troops demolished a wall in the building and shot dead the militants, Russia's deputy attorney general, Vladimir Kolesnikov confirmed. Two female hostages were rescued unharmed, media reports said citing the Russian Interior Ministry. In a separate attack Friday morning police killed 15 armed militants during clashes in a village north of Nalchik, a spokesman for the security forces told Itar-Tass news agency. Another 11 militants are reported to have died in two earlier shootouts in Nalchik. The violence began on Thursday when a large force of militants attacked Nalchik. The gunbattle raged for hours across the city of around 300,000 inhabitants.
