Three Years on after terrorist siege of Russian Nord Ost

Three years after the seizure of a Moscow theater in a terror attack, State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov once again urged the world community and all governments to unite their efforts in the struggle against the global threat of terrorism.

"The Nord Ost tragedy of October 26, 2002, and its victims will always be remembered in Russia. Three years after this attack I wish to convey my condolences to all who fell victim to it and to all who lost loved ones in the siege," Gryzlov said.

"Unfortunately, terrorism remains a serious problem in Russia and in many other countries," Gryzlov said, according to the State Duma public relations department. "Terrorism remains a global threat and must be countered jointly by all members of the international community," he said, reports Interfax.

Nord Ost co-chairwoman Tatyana Karpova said survivors and relatives were seeking "justice to make Russia a safe country to live in." "After three years of investigations, we still don't know who is responsible for the death of our relatives," said Karpova, who lost her 31-year-old son, the well-known songwriter Alexander Karpov, in the Dubrovka attack.

Chechens seized the theater on the evening of Oct. 23, 2002, and the standoff ended in the early hours of Oct. 26 when special forces pumped a knockout gas into the building and stormed it.

All 41 attackers were killed, and most of dead hostages were killed as a result of the gas.

The official death toll is 129 , but Nord Ost says at least 174 people died, informs the Moscow Times.

P.T.