Moscow: Demanding an end to the Chechen war, armed Chechen Islamic terrorists took upto 1000 people hostage late October 23 night in a Moscow theatre staging a popular musical and threatened to blow up the building if security forces tried to storm in.

Federal Security Bureau (FSB) special anti-terror force "Alpha", along with anti- terror squads, have been rushed to the theatre situated in House of Culture of a local ball-bearing plant, even as all available security forces were deployed at vital installations in the capital.

Claiming the responsibility for the hostage-taking on their Internet Website kavkaz.org, Chechen rebels said that the theatre has been captured by suicide squad of Movsar Barayev, nephew of recently killed Chechen warlord Arbi Barayev.

The statement posted on the Website said that "40 widows of Mujahids" were also part of this suicide squad and were among the spectators.

The terrorists have also threatened to kill 10 people for any person who would be injured on their side, Russian news agency ITAR-TASS reported.

Some of the people who managed to escape from the building of theatre confirmed that the terrorists were virtually wrapped in explosives and have threatened to blow up the building.

One of the French diplomats who was among the spectators and was released, said that all the hostage-takers were clad in camouflage fatigues and were planting explosives in the hall.

PTI