S. Africa, Syria condemn hostage-taking in Russian school

South African President Thabo Mbeki and former president Nelson Mandela on September 4 added their voice of condemnation into a strong criticism worldwide on a hostage drama that already left 322 people dead in a southern Russian school this week.

In a statement issued by the Foreign Affairs Department, Mbeki said he was greatly shocked and saddened by the loss of lives in the incident on Friday.

"The South African government reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of acts of hostage taking and the indiscriminate use of violence which results in the death of and injury to innocent civilians," he said.

"We join the international community in extending our deepest condolences to the government, people (of the Russian Federation), loved ones and friends of the deceased and we wish those injured a speedy recovery," he added.

Mandela, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and highly-respected politician, also expressed his shock at the "inhumane and barbaric" act of terrorism.

About 322 people, including 155 children, were reportedly killed and some 700 injured in the three-day hostage crisis in a secondary school in the town of Beslan in North Ossetia, a republic bordering Chechnya in southern Russia.

The Russian special forces put an end Friday evening to the crisis after hours of intensive exchanges of gunfire with hostage-takers. The siege ended in scenes of horror with half-naked, bloodied children fleeing from the school and the mutilated bodies of the dead rushed out on stretchers.

In no way can the victimization and killing of innocent children be justified under any circumstances, and especially not for political reasons, Mandela said in a statement.

"Our thoughts are with the Russian people," said the 86-year-old retired politician.

The hostages were held without food or water by armed militants who demanded independence for Chechnya.

Issues of this nature could only be resolved and settled by peaceful means, Mandela said.

Mandela and the Nelson Mandela Foundation extended their condolences to the families who lost loved ones in the tragedy.

"We call on the world and in particular on all peace loving people to condemn this act of terrorism in the strongest terms," he said.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) also condemned the terror, saying the union federation "deplores and condemns the massacre of school children in Russia," the South African Press Association reported on Saturday.

"There can be no possible justification for such a deed, which has ended in such a tragedy. COSATU sends condolences to the people of Russia, especially all those who have lost their loved ones, and best wishes to the injured," it said.

Syria condemns killing of hostages in Russian school

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad strongly condemned the abductor's killing of hostages in a Russian school in Belslan, the state-run SANA news agency reported.

In a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Assad expressed his condolence to the victims, saying Syria firmly opposes all kinds of terrorism.

Some 30 heavily armed militants seized the school in Russia's southern republic of North Ossetia on Wednesday, holding some 1,000children and adults hostage for over 51 hours.

Death toll from the tragedy has reached 330, including 156children, Interfax news agency cited a regional official as saying on Saturday.