[Destro]

The Spetsnaz were not slaughtered-the Muslims used women and children as sheilds in the hospital and the Spetz withdrew.

[MadJack]

Sorry to be slow in repsonse, but sometimes I actually sleep.
Initial attack by Alfa group was conventional light infantry-style, which resulted in heavy casualties to the Alfa operators (this from Russian press).
And they used civilians as shields. True enough. My point was and is that the operation prompted negotiations which resulted in an end to that stage of the war.