South Ossetia Releases Georgian Peacekeepers

24 September 2004 -- The officer commanding Georgia's peacekeeping contingent in South Ossetia says all Georgian servicemen detained overnight in the separatist region have been released.

Russian and South Ossetian peacekeepers last night detained four of their Georgian colleagues who had lost their way in the dark. The four were handed over to South Ossetian authorities.

South Ossetia won de-facto independence in the early 1990s following a war with Georgia. Peace in the breakaway region has since then been enforced by troops from Russia, Georgia, South Ossetia, and North Ossetia.

Last month violence broke out in the area, threatening to degenerate into a new armed conflict.

(Rustavi 2/Prime News)