Shootout in Georgia-South Ossetia conflict zone

Saturday morning fire on the Georgian village Eredvi in the zone of Georgian-South Ossetian conflict, has left four servicemen of the Georgian Interior Ministry's forces wounded, Alexander Sukhitashvili, head of the local police in the Shida district, told RIA Novosti.

"South Ossetian units fired. Nobody of the locals has suffered", Mr. Sukhitashvili said.

The area, controlled by Georgian peacekeepers, has been under fire since Friday night. Two villages - Eredvi and Ardvisi - have been affected. A villager in Ardvisi has been wounded by an explosion. Small arms and grenade launchers were used.

So far, official representatives of Georgia do not comment on the attack on the Georgian villages in the Tskhinvali region (Georgia's name for the self-proclaimed republic of North Ossetia).

Meanwhile, peacekeeper commander Major-General Svyatoslav Nabdzorov told journalists that it was mutual fault. Investigation is under way.

According to the general, Russian peacekeepers have been deployed on the line separating the Georgian and Ossetian sides.