Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

Georgian President warns of conflict with Russia

These are not Georgians, 80 per cent of South Ossetia's residents hold Russian passports they should be reunited with their brothers in North Ossetia.

-Am

Tbilisi (Georgia), July 11. (AP): Tensions spiralled over the separatist region of South Ossetia after Georgia said four people were wounded in a South Ossetian attack and the Georgian President warned that escalated fighting could bring a war with Russia.

"If conflict flares up in South Ossetia, it won't be an internal conflict in Georgia, it will be a conflict between Georgia and Russia," said Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.

Some 80 per cent of South Ossetia's residents hold Russian passports and Saakashvili's vow to regain control of the region, de-facto independent since 1992, has strained relations between Georgia and its huge neighbour.

Long-simmering antagonism rose after Georgia briefly sent troops into the region in late May.

South Ossetian forces this week seized and disarmed 38 Georgian soldiers, but released all but three a day later. Georgian, Russian and South Ossetian forces all have peacekeeping contingents in the region.

Yesterday, three Georgian Interior Ministry servicemen and a civilian were wounded by grenade and automatic weapons firing in the village of Ardvisi, near South Ossetia, said a police official of the Georgian region that includes Ardvisi.

South Ossetia on Friday said one of its policemen was wounded in an attack by unknown assailants.

Russia does not formally recognise the South Ossetian Government, but maintains close relations with the region and in recent weeks has issued criticisms of Georgia for allegedly provoking a conflict.

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