Russian president Boris Yeltsin gestures after arriving to Bishkek's airport August 24, to join the leaders of China and three former Soviet Central Asian states in Kyrgyzstan for a regional summit on security and cooperation. At least ten people were killed in fighting to free four Japanese hostages who were kidnapped over the weekend in the remote southern region of Batken about 400 km south of Bishkek, an official said on Tuesday.

CVI/AA