South Ossetia Ceasefire Crumbles: 17 Dead

Clashes the other night between Georgian and Ossetian forces in Tamarashini and South Ossetia reportedly left 17 people dead and 30 wounded. 15 of dead were Ossetian, while two were Georgian soldiers.

Colonel Aleko Kiknadze, commander of the Georgian peacekeepers in the region, blamed the Ossetian forces for starting the clashes. A total of six Georgian peacekeepers have been killed in the fighting so far.

Meanwhile, Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Jvaniya briefed about the latest developments. He also claimed that the Ossetian administration violated the ceasefire. The Prime Minister said that Ossetian forces are causing the tension in the region to rise dangerously high by targeting women and children fleeing from the ethnic Georgian villages.

Jvaniya went on to allege that some Russian politicians chose to cooperate with the separatist region administration and that those politicians are hoping to pull Georgia into a war. The Georgian Prime Minister stressed, "We want all world countries to hear that we want a peaceful solution."

Russian, Georgian and Ossetian peacekeepers have been on duty in the problematic region since 1992. After Adzharian leader Aslan Abashidze was overthrown in May, the Georgian administration announced that it would turn its attention towards South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The tension in the region has been escalating ever since.