S.Ossetia Says Criminal Attack Politically-Motivated

A robbery attack on a family in the Ossetian village of Khelchua in the South Ossetian conflict zone was an attempt by the Georgian side to trigger “large-scale destabilization,” the Foreign Ministry of breakaway South Ossetia said in a statement on May 23.

A group of armed men burst into the house of Atsamaz Khugaev in the village of Khelchua on may 21, but two attackers, ethnic Georgians, were killed and two others could escape after the owner of the house opened fire.

Georgian police said that the incident was a criminal act which aimed at robbery.

The Foreign Ministry of unrecognized republic said that the attack coincided with anniversary of, as South Ossetia puts it, “Day of Memory of Victims of Georgian Aggression” in early 90s, which is marked on May 20.

“The South Ossetian side will consider as a step towards confidence-building if Georgia hands over those who carried out attack in the village of Khelchua on May 21,” the unrecognized republic’s Foreign Ministry stated.