Fighting Goes On In Sukhumi Area, Says Eduard Shevardnadze

Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze has said that "battle engagements have been reported from the area of Sukhumi, with resultant casualties". The Georgian head of state said this in a interview with national radio. After claiming that Tbilisi has no precise data on the movements of the Chechen group, he said that he has no doubt that this group is moving across the mountains in the northern direction. Chechen terrorists are known to have attacked Abkhazian villages from Georgia's territory. At the same time, the president noted that sources of reliable information about developments in Abkhazia are limited. According to him, the departments concerned in Sukhumi and Tbilisi are exchanging information by telephone. Shevardnadze said that Georgia's National Security Council will meet on Monday to assess events in Abkhazia and define tasks facing the Georgian state.