From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng (Original Message) Sent: 9/22/2007 9:47 AM 22 09 2007 Abkhaz, Georgian gunmen clash
Abkhaz and Georgian gunmen clashed Thursday, Abkhazian officials said, resulting in the deaths of at least two soldiers and prompting angry threats from the breakaway region's president.
The gunbattle was the one of the most serious incidents to occur in some time between Abkhazia and the Georgian central government, which has sought to regain control over it.
An Abkhazian Defense Ministry official said gunmen appearing to be Georgian special forces attacked a training camp for Abkhazian troops in the western Tkvarcheli district, on the internal border separating Abkhazia from Georgia.
At least two soldiers were killed, four were wounded and another five were missing, the official said. Abkhazia's foreign minister, Sergei Shamba, said however that 10 soldiers were missing in the incident.
Georgia's allegations:
Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili said the clash happened not in Abkhazia, but in Georgian-controlled territory, near the Kodori Gorge. He said gunmen attacked workers building a road in the gorge, but were repelled by security forces.
The Interior Ministry later released a statement saying just six gunmen were detained: "The (ministry) views this incident as the latest attempted attack on the Kodori Gorge by Abkhazia."
The gunbattle prompted the president of Abkhazia's unrecognized government to call an emergency meeting of security and military officials and issue a harsh warning to Georgia."Georgia committed an act of aggression and we shall respond with urgent, adequate measures," President Sergei Bagpash was quoted as saying by Interfax.
Acknowledgement: All available information and documents in "Justice For North Caucasus Group" is provided for the "fair use". There should be no intention for ill-usage of any sort of any published item for commercial purposes and in any way or form. JFNC is a nonprofit group and has no intentions for the distribution of information for commercial or advantageous gain. At the same time consideration is ascertained that all different visions, beliefs, presentations and opinions will be presented to visitors and readers of all message boards of this site. Providing, furnishing, posting and publishing the information of all sources is considered a right to freedom of opinion, speech, expression, and information while at the same time does not necessarily reflect, represent, constitute, or comprise the stand or the opinion of this group. If you have any concerns contact us directly at:
eagle@JusticeForNorthCaucasus.com
