South Ossetian capital comes under fire, 3 killedJuly 4, 2008 - 15:54 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - 3 people were shot dead and 11 injured after Georgia allegedly attacked the capital of South Ossetia late on Thursday, the state information and press website of Georgia's breakaway republic said on Friday. Earlier, it was reported that two people had been killed in the incident in Tskhinvali, where over 15 mortars were fired at the capital. "According to preliminary reports, three people were killed and around 11 people injured in an escalation [of the situation] and a special Georgian military operation," the state website said. Georgia fired in three directions "using mortar, grenade launchers and fire arms." The villages of Ubiat and Dmenis were also attacked, alongside Tskhinvali, South Ossetia said. The joint peacekeeping forces deployed in the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict zone have been put on high alert. Tbilisi and Russian-led peacekeepers are currently deployed in the region. South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity has warned that military hardware will be moved into the conflict zone if the incident is repeated. "South Ossetian units will open fire only as a last resort and on my personal instruction. All of the enemy's firing positions have been located and will be eliminated at any moment," Kokoity said. Although the Georgian Interior Ministry has so far failed to comment on the incident, military observers from the Joint Peacekeeping Forces and officers from the OSCE mission have already confirmed reports of the attack. However, according to unofficial police sources in Georgia's Shida Kartli region, bordering on the conflict zone, Georgian police outposts came under fire from South Ossetian villages in the conflict zone. Georgia returned fire, after which shelling continued for several minutes, RIA Novosti reports. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |