Tskhinvali Denies Casualties in Overnight Shootout

The de facto authorities of South Ossetia refuted reports claiming that six South Ossetians had been killed in an overnight shootout in the Ossetian conflict zone on August 1.

?Not a single person has died from the South Ossetian side,? the Interior Ministry of the breakaway region said on August 1.

The Georgian Interior Minister Irakli Okruashvili reported recently that at least six South Ossetians were killed and two Georgian policemen wounded in the overnight shootout.

?We opened fire after our positions were attacked from the South Ossetian side. We will open fire in the future as well as respond with adequate measures in case of attacks,? Georgian Interior Minister Irakli Okruashvili told reporters.