• Most Popular
  • Most Shared

Abkhaz troops moved closer to Georgian forces

Sat Aug 9, 2008 2:13pm EDT
MOSCOW, August 8 (Reuters) - Troops from Georgia's separatist region of Abkhazia have advanced their positions about 50 km (30 miles) to the south towards where Georgian forces are massed, Russia's Interfax news agency reported.

Abkhazia, hugging the Black Sea coast, has expressed fear that Georgia could invade after it launched an incursion to regain another separatist province, South Ossetia. Abkhazia said on Saturday Georgia was building up forces on its borders.

"On the order of the (Abkhaz) president, it was decided to move the republic's armed forces onto the border of the security zone in the Gali area," the agency quoted Kristian Bzhaniya, a representative of Abkhazia's self-styled president, as saying.

The town of Gali is about 12 km (8 miles) from Abkhazia's border with Georgia proper.

Another Abkhaz official said earlier on Saturday the size of the Georgian force on the border had quadrupled since the action was launched in South Ossetia. (Reporting by Simon Shuster, editing by Ron Popeski and Mary Gabriel)



More from Reuters

Photo

Senate on track to pass healthcare bill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Democrats moved closer on Monday to passing landmark healthcare legislation by Christmas after scoring a win in the first big test vote and gaining the support of a powerful lobbying group for doctors. | Video

» More Top News
Photo

Political risk clouds Asia

The economic outlook is strong, but the danger of a sudden correction hangs over Asian markets - as political risks could turn sunshine to storm clouds in the blink of an eye.  Full Article 

Global Markets
Two men shake hands in a file photo. REUTERS/File

Let's make a deal

The battered M&A sector will make a tepid recovery in the coming year and three hot sectors will lead the way, according to a Thomson Reuters analysis.  Full Article 

Global Deals Review