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| Caucasus |
| Two Georgian Soldiers Wounded in Clash |
| 2004-07-08 |
| Georgian soldiers clashed with gunmen in the separatist region of South Ossetia on Thursday, Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania said. Two Georgian soldiers were wounded. South Ossetian government spokeswoman Irina Gagloyeva dismissed the claim as "sheer misinformation," the Interfax news agency said. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has vowed to restore Georgian control over South Ossetia, which has been de-facto independent since separatist fighting ended in 1992, and tensions have risen sharply in the region in recent weeks. Georgian, Russian and South Ossetian forces all conduct peacekeeping operations in the region, which borders the Russian republic of North Ossetia. Zhvania said the attack took place at a Georgian peacekeepers' position between the villages Tamarasheni and Kurti. He did not provide other details, but said Georgia is taking measures "in order not to allow an armed conflict." The reported clash came hours after South Ossetian forces detained and disarmed another contingent of Georgian peacekeepers. On Tuesday, Georgian police stopped a column of 10 trucks carrying Russian servicemen, missiles and other military equipment into South Ossetia from Russia, and sent two of the trucks containing 160 unguided missiles to the Georgian capital, sparking strong criticism from Moscow. |
| Posted by:Fred |