The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Thursday that there were "serious failings"in how Russia handled the 2004 Beslan school siegethat lefthundreds dead.The court said that Russian authorities did not take necessary preventative steps to save lives and that their use of tank cannons, grenade launchers, and flame throwers contributed to many of the casualties among the hostages.The court also said that they failed to increase security before the attack, despite the many threats against schools in the area."The authorities had been in possession of sufficiently specific information of a planned terrorist attack in the area, linked to an educational institution," the court said in its ruling. "Nevertheless, not enough had been done to disrupt the terrorists meeting and preparing."More than 330 people ' including 186 children ' were killed, and 750 more were wounded in the assault. Thirty-one rebels were also killed.The case was brought by more than 400 Russians who were either involved or had relatives killed or taken hostage, The court hasordered Russia to pay 3 million euros. Moscow called the ruling "absolutely unacceptable."On the morning of September 1, 2004, about 30 Chechen radical Islamic rebels ' some wearing explosive belts ' stormed the school in North Ossetia, starting a 52-hour long standoff. Theytook more than 1,100 people hostage, locked hundreds of theminto the gymnasium, and opened fire on police.The rebels then rigged the gymnasium with explosives and demanded the release of Chechen rebels detained in the republic of Ingushetia and the withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya.The next day, the president of Ingushetia negotiated the release of 15 children and 11 women, but just after midnight, rebels detonated two grenades.At 1:08 p.m. on September 3, more explosions and gunfire wereheard before some hostages escaped.After 2 p.m., Russian special forces entered the school and confusion ensued for hours. Some local armed residents even tookpart in the assault.On September 4, Chechen warlordShamil Basayev wasidentified as the mastermind. He tookresponsibility almost two weeks later and was killed by Russian special forces in July 2006.The attack was one of many that Russia endured in the 1990s and 2000s ' many of them related to the insurgency in Chechnya. The Chechen rebels began as a separatist group but later turned into an Islamist organization.The northern part of theCaucus region ' which includes the Russian republics of Chechnya, Dagestan, and Ingushetia ' is one of the largest sources of foreign jihadists fighting in Syria and Iraq.Watch hostages flee from the Beslan school:SEE ALSO:Russia is feeding hundreds of fighters to ISIS ' and some are starting to returnJoin the conversation about this storyNOW WATCH: 'The reign of the Assad family is coming to an end': Tillerson says Russia must choose to align with the US
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