The armed men taking hostages at a school in Russia's North Ossetia republic have demanded the release of terrorists captured in the neighboring Ingusetia republic, Itar-Tass news agency said.

They also demanded the arrival of North Ossetian president Alexander Dzasokhov, Ingush President Murat Zyazikov and Doctor

Leonid Roshal, North Ossetian Emergency Situations Minister Boris Dzagoyev said.

Roshal acted as a mediator between hostage takers and Russian authorities in a Moscow theater hostage-taking crisis in October 2002.

Source: Xinhua