ID :
14666
Sat, 08/02/2008 - 12:32
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/14666
The shortlink copeid
Georgia accuses Tskhinvali of opening fire at Georgia police posts
TBILISI, August 2 (Itar-Tass) - Georgia has accused South Ossetia of opening fire at Georgian police posts and the posts of the Georgian
peacekeeping battalion in the zone of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict.
General Mamuka Kurashvili, the chief of staff for peacekeeping
operations at the united headquarters of the Georgian armed forces, and Shota Utiashvili, the head of the information and analytical department of the Georgian Interior Ministry, told reporters on Friday that the Georgian side hadn't opened fire at South Ossetian police checkpoints or Tskhinvali.
"The South Ossetian armed units opened intensive fire from various
types of weapons and from different places at Georgian police checkpoints
and the posts of the Georgian peacekeeping battalion located near the
villages of Sarabuki, Nikozi, Eredvi, Avnevi, etc," General Kurashvili and
Shota Utiashvili told reporters. They noted that the Georgian side was
forced to return fire at the places of location of the South Ossetian
armed units.
Both described as false assertions that Georgia is being amassing
troops in the conflict zone.
"No reinforcement of the Georgian forces has taken place in the
conflict zone, the Georgian peacekeeping battalion of the joint
peacekeeping force and the servicemen of the local Georgian police
department are on duty there," General Kurashvili and Shota Utiashvili
said.
Georgia controls half of the South Ossetian territory, the other half
is under the control of the Tskhinvali authorities. Georgian policemen are
on duty in the Georgian villages while Tskhinvali policemen patrol the
Ossetian villages.
In the meantime, all the shooting in the zone of the Georgian-South
Ossetian conflict is over.
"The Georgian side has stopped its massive fire attack on Tskhinvali
which it began at around 21:00 Moscow time on Friday, Tamara Tsagarayeva,
a representative of the press and information committee of the
unrecognised republic, said on Saturday.
"Both sides have ceased fire and are not shelling the city at the
moment," Tsagarayeva said by telephone from Tskhinvali.
Five South Ossetian residents and a peacekeeper from a North Ossetian
battalion of the joint peacekeeping force were killed as a result of
ongoing fire attacks on Tskhinvali and South Ossetian villages in the zone
of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict. Another seven people had been killed.
Yuri Morozov, the head of government of the unrecognised republic, had
held an emergency meeting with the leaders of the republic's military and
law enforcement agencies to discuss how to provide security for the
republic's residents.
"Our citizens should feel calm but it's not easy under sniper and
mortar fire. But they should know that the republic is protecting them,"
Morozov went on to say. He added that the Ossetian side intended to give
a strong rebuff to Georgia that has launched a sniper war against South
Ossetia.
peacekeeping battalion in the zone of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict.
General Mamuka Kurashvili, the chief of staff for peacekeeping
operations at the united headquarters of the Georgian armed forces, and Shota Utiashvili, the head of the information and analytical department of the Georgian Interior Ministry, told reporters on Friday that the Georgian side hadn't opened fire at South Ossetian police checkpoints or Tskhinvali.
"The South Ossetian armed units opened intensive fire from various
types of weapons and from different places at Georgian police checkpoints
and the posts of the Georgian peacekeeping battalion located near the
villages of Sarabuki, Nikozi, Eredvi, Avnevi, etc," General Kurashvili and
Shota Utiashvili told reporters. They noted that the Georgian side was
forced to return fire at the places of location of the South Ossetian
armed units.
Both described as false assertions that Georgia is being amassing
troops in the conflict zone.
"No reinforcement of the Georgian forces has taken place in the
conflict zone, the Georgian peacekeeping battalion of the joint
peacekeeping force and the servicemen of the local Georgian police
department are on duty there," General Kurashvili and Shota Utiashvili
said.
Georgia controls half of the South Ossetian territory, the other half
is under the control of the Tskhinvali authorities. Georgian policemen are
on duty in the Georgian villages while Tskhinvali policemen patrol the
Ossetian villages.
In the meantime, all the shooting in the zone of the Georgian-South
Ossetian conflict is over.
"The Georgian side has stopped its massive fire attack on Tskhinvali
which it began at around 21:00 Moscow time on Friday, Tamara Tsagarayeva,
a representative of the press and information committee of the
unrecognised republic, said on Saturday.
"Both sides have ceased fire and are not shelling the city at the
moment," Tsagarayeva said by telephone from Tskhinvali.
Five South Ossetian residents and a peacekeeper from a North Ossetian
battalion of the joint peacekeeping force were killed as a result of
ongoing fire attacks on Tskhinvali and South Ossetian villages in the zone
of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict. Another seven people had been killed.
Yuri Morozov, the head of government of the unrecognised republic, had
held an emergency meeting with the leaders of the republic's military and
law enforcement agencies to discuss how to provide security for the
republic's residents.
"Our citizens should feel calm but it's not easy under sniper and
mortar fire. But they should know that the republic is protecting them,"
Morozov went on to say. He added that the Ossetian side intended to give
a strong rebuff to Georgia that has launched a sniper war against South
Ossetia.
