Russian special forces, using gas to knock out Chechen guerrillas, have stormed a Moscow theatre in a dawn raid that left up to 90 hostages dead along with most of their rebel captors.
More than 750 people, held since Wednesday by the heavily armed Muslim guerrillas, were rescued, Deputy Interior Minister Vladimir Vasilyev said on Saturday. He put the initial death toll among the captives at 67. But Russian news agencies later quoted the health ministry as saying more than 90 hostages had died.
President Vladimir Putin went on national television in the evening to ask forgiveness for the deaths, blaming the rebel attack on international terrorism which the world had to fight.
"We have not been able to save all. Forgive us," a solemn Putin said, calling terrorism a "strong and dangerous, inhuman and cruel enemy".