7. Entire Russian Theatrical Troupe: October 23-26, 2002
This a horrible reminder of what happens when Terrorists strike. On October 23, 2002, about 50 armed rebels claiming to be from the Chechen Army stormed into a Moscow Theater and held the 800 spectators hostage. At the time the musical “Nord Ost” was being performed. Chechnya, a Russian region with a predominantly Muslim population, had long struggled to assert its independence. The terrorists/rebels demanded that Russia withdraw all forces from Chechnya. During the standoff, two hostages were killed by the invaders. No government negotiates with terrorists, and Russia is no different. In the 57th hour Russian special forces surrounded and raided the theater and pumped a powerful narcotic gas that knocked almost all of the hostages and terrorists unconscious. A majority of the 800 hostages were saved, but 120 of them died, of which 17 were performers in the musical. Most of the rebels died.
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