Troops Pulled Out from Ossetian Conflict Zone

Tensions defused as additional units of the Georgian internal troops started pulling out from the South Ossetian conflict zone after five-hour long deployment in the Georgian village of Tkviavi, less than 10 km away from the breakaway South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali, Georgian media reported in the evening on May 31.

Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Baramidze ordered earlier on May 31 to dispatch additional units of the internal troops to reinforce a checkpoint in the village of Tkviavi, located in the area under the Georgian central government?s control.

The decision to dispatch troops in the conflict zone, which triggered protest of the self-styled South Ossetian Republic, was followed after the commander of Russian peacekeeping troops in the conflict zone Sviatoslav Nabdzorov allegedly threatened to dismantle Georgian police checkpoint in Tkviavi with use of force, according to the Georgian officials.

However, Sviatoslav Nabdzorov denied the report and said that use of force was not planned.

Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Baramidze said that the checkpoint in Tkviavi village was set up in order to fight smuggling in the region. Smuggling of goods between Russia and Georgia is one of the main sources of income for the breakaway South Ossetia.

Georgian officials say that the Georgian police checkpoints in the conflict zone will remain, despite withdrawal of the internal troops from the region.