Conflict death toll rises

Fire was opened in the zone of the Georgian-Osetian conflict again on the night of August 17-18. A fire attack against the Osetian settlements of Sarabuk, Kokhat and Dmenis and the town of Tskhinvali started from the direction of the villages of Eredvi and Tamarasheni at about 9 p.m., i.e. at the time when the Osetian delegation of the Combined Control Commission was returning from Tbilisi, where co-chairmen of the Commission had met with Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania. Russian peacekeepers' post, situated near the village of Vanati, was fired from mortars. In the morning there were reports that several peacekeepers were killed, however they have not been confirmed later.

Reports, confirmed by the press center of the Combined Peacekeeping Forces, claim there was a moment when Georgian positions near Eredvi were shelled by Georgian army units. Three people were killed as a result. The Georgian side also informs of 10 wounded people, who were taken out of the fire zone only at daybreak. None of the sides presumes to assert whether it means that an attempt to neutralize the third force was made. The Georgian side has only announced so far that it is not going to withdraw its armed units from the conflict zone. Georgian Defense Minister Georgy Baramidze stated the troops would be withdrawn only when there was the peace.

The Osetian side sustained no casualties last night. Some houses were damaged on the outskirts of Tskhinvali and in settlements around the town.