S.Ossetia Threatens with Acts of Sabotage in Case of Hostilities

In an interview with the Russian news agency Regnum on September 8, Interior Minister of breakaway South Ossetia Mikhail Mindzaev warned that the South Ossetian side will target Georgia?s economic and military facilities with acts of sabotage if Tbilisi launches hostilities.

?We have no ambition to [take over] Georgian territories, but if Georgia launches a war, we will resort to all kind of special operations, to all kinds of sabotage battles, with the aim of destroying economic and military facilities of Georgia,? Mikhail Mindzaev said.

He said that a September 8 clash that left three South Ossetian militiamen and one Georgian officer dead and two others injured was yet another ?step towards the launch of military action against South Ossetia.?

Mindzaev has also warned that the South Ossetian side will down any Georgian aircraft flying over the breakaway region. A Georgian army helicopter, reportedly carrying Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili, was fired at over South Ossetia on September 3.

He also said that Russian peacekeeping forces stationed in the conflict zone are the only obstacle preventing Tbilisi from launching hostilities in the region.

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