Beslan is an important railway junction, situated on the main line between Rostov-on-Don and Baku, and is the starting point of a branch line to Vladikavkaz.

别斯兰是重要的铁路枢纽，位于顿河畔罗斯托夫到巴库铁路之间，也是通往弗拉季高加索铁路支线的起点。

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Nor is much known about how they got to Beslan in the first place.

ECONOMIST: Beslan and after

Another Russian daily, Novyye Izvestiya , describes the Algerian hostage crisis as the biggest since the 2004 "Beslan tragedy".

BBC: Press links Algerian crisis with Mali operation

Mr Mamsurov was born in Beslan and was 50 when he became leader.

BBC: North Ossetia profile