Moscow, Sept 2, SPA -- President Vladimir Putin on Thursdaydescribed the seizure of a provincial school in southernRussia as "horrible" and pledged to do everythingpossible to save the lives of the hundreds of hostages. In his first public remarks since militants raided aprovincial school in North Ossetia and threatened to blowit up with more than 350 hostages inside, Putin said that"our main task is, of course, to save the life and healthof those who became hostages." Putin made the comments at the start of a Kremlin meetingwith Jordan King Abdullah II. "We understand these acts are not only against privatecitizens of Russia but against Russia as a whole," Putinsaid in comments broadcast on Russian television. "What ishappening in North Ossetia is horrible." "It's horrible not only because some of the hostages arechildren but because this action can explode even a fragilebalance of interconfessional and international relations inthe region." "We will do our utmost not to allow such developments,"he said.--SPA1320 Local Time 1020 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/197362