Armed Clash in Gali Region

(Tbilisi. May 5, 2003. Civil Georgia) – Last night an armed clash occurred for 20 minutes at the border between Tagiloni and Chuburkhinji villages of the Gali region. Ruslan Khashba, head of so called Tagiloni customs check point, hero of the self declared republic, was wounded during the exchange of fire.

As Rustavi 2 TV reports, Khashba has died during the surgery in a hospital in Sukhumi city.

The Abkhazian side has deployed troops to Nabakevi and Tagiloni and started cleansing operations, claiming that Georgian partisans were involved in the clash.

Due to increased tensions, the quadrilateral coordination commission is unable to visit the scene. As Rustavi 2 TV reports, the Georgian population of these villages claim that Russian peacekeepers are not doing anything to protect them from deliberate actions of the Abkhazian side.

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