Two explosions were heard on Thursday near a Moscow theatre where 700 people are being held hostage by Chechen rebels demanding an end to the war in the Caucasus republic.
The sound of the powerful blasts appeared to come from inside the theatre, a correspondent from NTV television at the scene reported. He added that the explosions were too loud to have been made by a grenade.
Earlier, it was reported by the ITAR-TASS news agency quoting a police official that the Chechen rebels shot a woman dead.
However, Russian officials from a crisis unit dealing with the hostage-taking did not officially confirm the report, the agency said and the report remained in doubt.
Security sources quoted by ITAR-TASS said the woman had been shot late on Wednesday shortly after the rebels broke into the theatre.
The rebel website kavkaz.org said earlier that a woman was shot late on Wednesday as she tried to enter the building, with the rebels taking her for a security agent.
The Chechens have threatened to shoot their hostages if Russia did not order an end to the war in Chechnya. – Sapa-AFP