Five Die in S.Ossetia Shootout

One Georgian policeman and four South Ossetian armed men, reportedly the servicemen of breakaway region?s Defense Ministry, died as a result of skirmish, which occurred on May 29 near the Georgian village of Tamarasheni in the conflict zone, both the Georgian and South Ossetian sides reported. But the sides blame each other of this shootout. 

According to the South Ossetian Press and Information Committee a car carrying servicemen of the South Ossetian Defense Ministry, which was en-route from Java to capital Tskhinvali, was ambushed near the Georgian village of Tamarasheni after it was chased by two Georgian police cars. Car chase ended near Tamarasheni, where three Ossetian servicemen were killed and one badly injured, who died in the hospital later. Skirmish also resulted in death of one Georgian policeman, according to the S.Ossetia Press and Information Committee.

The Georgian side claims that the shootout started after the South Ossetian armed men attacked the police checkpoint near the village of Kurta.

Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Goga Khaindrava left for Tskhinvali on May 30 to participate in the session of a quadripartite Joint Control Commission (JCC), which oversees ceasefire and demilitarization process in the conflict zone.

?The incident confirmed that the process of demilitarization should urgently be launched in the conflict zone,? Goga Khaindrava told reporters on May 30. He did not rule out that the incident aimed at thwarting the JCC session, which was originally planned to hold in North Ossetia?s capital Vladikavkaz, but after this incident sides agreed to meet in Tskhinvali.

Defense Minister of breakaway South Ossetia Anatoly Barankevich accused the Georgian side and described an incident as ?a provocation.?

?We think that it was a planned provocation aiming at undermining situation [in the conflict zone] on the eve of the JCC session. I also would like to note one fact. Recently, Governor of Shida Kartli [central Georgian region, which officially also includes the territory of S.Ossetia] Mikheil Kareli visited these [Georgian] villages of conflict zone. He [Kareli] is notorious with the activities, which regularly fuel up tensions in the conflict zone,? Barankevich said in an information note issued by the South Ossetian Press and Information Committee.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)