Russia: Georgian attacks continue
Tskhinvali, 2008 Aug 11, PressTV
Russian peacekeeping forces say Georgia is continuing to attack South Ossetia's capital Tskhinvali, despite claiming to have pulled back.
"In certain zones (near Tskhinvali) Russian peacekeepers met active confrontation" overnight, commander of the forces Marat Kulakhmetov told the Interfax news agency on Monday.
The Georgian Interior Ministry said on Sunday that the country had fully withdrawn troops from South Ossetia after a powerful military response from Russia.
Claims of a withdrawal followed Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's request for an immediate ceasefire with Russia.
"We are willing to do ceasefire immediately, providing (that) the other side stops to shoot and to bomb," Saakashvili said on Saturday.
Russia sent tanks into South Ossetia on Saturday, two days after Georgia launched a military assault on the independence-seeking region.
The latest figures suggest that the conflict has so far claimed the lives of over 2,000 Ossetians and forced another 3,000 to flee to Russia as refugees. An estimated 130 Georgians have also been killed.
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