Tbilisi Denies Militant Suspects Infiltrated Russia from Georgia

Georgia said Russia?s allegation that two militant suspects killed in Karachay-Cherkessia had infiltrated from Georgia was a provocation.

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement on September 5 that two militants had been killed in a clash within Russia?s north Caucasus republic of Karachay-Cherkessia. They had, according to the statement, infiltrated into the republic from ?a neighboring country.?

Karachay-Cherkessia borders Georgia, mostly with breakaway Abkhazia, and in particular with Tbilisi-controlled upper Kodori Gorge. A small section of the Karachay-Cherkessian border fronts onto the mountainous region of Svaneti in Georgia.

The Georgian Border Police said in a statement on September 6 that the incident took place 10 kilometers inside Russian territory close to the home village of the two suspects.

?This allegation [that they had infiltrated from Georgia] is yet another provocation of the Russian security services aimed against Georgia,” the statement said. “Its intention is to place the blame on Georgia for the anarchic situation in the North Caucasus.?

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)