GROZNY - About 55 civilian hostages seized in the southern Russian republic of Dagestan would be released today, Mr Salman Raduyev, leader of the Chechen hostage takers, said yesterday. But 28 policemen, who were taken after a guerrilla raid on an airbase in Dagestan two weeks ago, would only bet freed in exchange for Chechen prisoners from the fighting in Dagestan, he added.
"We had about six people captured and we left behind bodies. We'll exchange them for one - their militiamen for our bodies," Mr Raduyev said in a secret location in eastern Chechnya.
Mr Raduyev also said civilian hostages would be freed provided there were guarantees that there would be no reprisals against them for allegedly helping their captors in fierce fighting with Russian commandos. He said he was negotiating with members of the Russian parliament and Dagestani local authorities to get guarantees that none of the released hostages would be "investigated."