MOSCOW, Sept. 1 (Xinhuanet) -- Two people were killed and eleven others wounded when a group of armed men seized a school in Russia's North Ossetia republic Wednesday morning, the North Ossetian prime minister said.

    Prime Minister Mikhail Shatalov told Itar-Tass that "one of those killed was a gunman who participated in the attack and was shot by policemen guarding the school."

    Earlier reports said at least three civilians were killed when gunmen took over the school in the region bordering the volatile republic of Chechnya.

    Up to 30 attackers with explosive belts and guns stormed the school in the town of Beslan as a large number of parents were bringing their children to a ceremony marking the start of the newschool year.

    North Ossetian Interior Ministry spokesman, Ismel Shaov, said that up to 150 people are being held hostage by the attackers.

    He did not specify how many children and adults are among the hostages.

    Earlier reports said that up to 400 people, including 200 schoolchildren, were being held by the attackers.

    Soon after the attack, up to 50 children, who had apparently hidden during the seizure, managed to escape from the school, according to Itar-Tass.

    Tass later said the hostage-takers have released 15 children.

    North Ossetian Interior Minister Kazbek Dzantiyev said the hostage-takers had handed over a note to authorities in which theythreatened to kill 50 hostages for every abductor killed and to kill 20 hostages for every abductor wounded.

    "Therefore the interior troops are not taking any active steps," Dzantiyev was quoted by Interfax as saying. Enditem