Russians, Georgians Come To Blows In South Ossetia

(RFE/RL) 1 February 2006 -- Georgian media reports say that fistfights broke out late on 31 January between Georgian police and Russian peacekeepers in the breakaway Georgian republic of South Ossetia.

The incident reportedly began when a Russian military truck ran into the car of a Georgian resident in the conflict zone. No one was injured, but the car was damaged.


Fistfights broke out when Georgian police tried to take the truck to a police station in the town of Gori. One report says shots were fired into the air to stop the clashes.


South Ossetia proclaimed its independence in the early 1990s, triggering an armed conflict with Georgia. The cease-fire agreement that followed is being monitored by peacekeepers from Russia, Georgia, South Ossetia, and North Ossetia.


(AP, Caucasus Press)

RFE/RL Caucasus Report

RFE/RL Caucasus Report


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