Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TBILISI1181
2007-05-21 12:56:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Tbilisi
how-toVZCZCXRO1418 OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHSI #1181 1411256 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 211256Z MAY 07 FM AMEMBASSY TBILISI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6396 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
UNCLAS TBILISI 001181
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR DAS BRYZA AND EUR/CARC
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL OSCE GG
SUBJECT: SOUTH OSSETIA SHOOTOUT MAY 19
REF: TBILISI 1168 AND PREVIOUS
(SBU) OSCE Deputy Head of Mission Veselin Nikolaev confirmed
to us May 20 that a three-hour exchange of fire had occurred
in the South Ossetian conflict zone May 19, lasting from 2000
to 2300 local time. Nikolaev said the incident was in a
usual place: between the South Ossetian asphalt factory south
of Tskhinvali and the Georgian positions in Ergneti. He said
the South Ossetians had provoked the incident, and the
Georgians then returned fire, including with RPGs. Two South
Ossetians were injured, including a woman who was briefly
hospitalized when she was hit in the foot by a ricochet.
Neither injury was serious. Comment: This incident appears
to both OSCE and us to be similar to others in a long series
of shootouts on the southern outskirts of Tskhinvali. At
present it does not seem to be a renewal of the more serious
violence precipitated by the South Ossetians a week earlier,
on the weekend of May 12-13. End Comment.
TEFFT