02 October 2004	Saturday	16 Shaban 1425

MOSCOW, Oct 1: Moscow on Friday stiffened security at two of its international airports following the downing of two passenger jets and the Beslan hostage tragedy that together killed over 400 people.

According to Sergei Gorbunov, vice president of East Line - a company providing security at Moscow's Domodedovo airport - passengers will now have to remove some clothing items and hand them over for security checks.

"Since Friday, the control of shoes has become compulsory for all passengers. These will have to take them off, put them in a plastic box and pass them through X-ray machines," Gorbunov was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying.

Passengers will also be asked to take off their coats, jackets and belts, he said, adding that an explosive detecting portal has been installed at Domodedovo, Moscow's most modern airport.

"We are currently using one machine, but we are going to buy five more to install at all exits to the tarmac," Gorbunov said. On Aug 24, two passengers jets had crashed almost simultaneously over southern Russian in what authorities said was an attack by female suicide bombers carrying explosives.

All 90 people on board were killed. The attacks were later claimed by Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev, as was the Beslan school hostage taking that killed at least 344 people, half of them children, in addition to 31 rebels.

A spokeswoman for Moscow's international Sheremetyevo airport, however, told RIA Novosti that while the order by the government's transport service to boost airport security came into force on Friday, the security measures had been implemented "a long time ago". According to her, the number of security staff at Sheremetyevo has increased by 30 per since last year. -AFP