MOSCOW, Sept 14 (AFP) - Russia on Tuesday tightened up controls on its border with Azerbaijan following a bloody school siege in its southern republic of North Ossetia in which 339 people were killed, the foreign ministry said.
"In relation to the recent terrorist acts in the northern Caucasus and due to the complicated situation in the region, Russia has taken the decision to put in place several restrictions on crossing the Russian-Azerbaijan border from September 15," a foreign ministry spokesman said.
Crossings will only be allowed from four border points of which only three will be accessible to Russian citizens and Azerbaijan nationals returning home.
The fourth border point will be used only by school pupils and workers who regularly cross the frontier.
"These measures are temporary," the spokesman added. "They will be gradually relaxed as the situation in the northern Caucasus returns to normal and once work on installing technical equipment at the controls on the Russian-Azerbaijan border is completed."
He added he was sure Baku would see the decision as part of Russia's efforts to fight terror attacks.
Hundreds of children and parents died at the school in the North Ossetia town of Beslan when a three-day siege by more than 30 militants demanding independence for Chechnya ended in a bloody shootout on September 3.
Azerbaijan borders the southernmost Russian republic of Dagestan, which neighbours Chechnya.