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Russian troops takes control of South Ossetian capital

Russian troops took most of the capital of the separatist Georgian region of South Ossetia on Sunday after a three-day battle but the United States condemned Moscow's "dangerous and disproportionate" action.

  • Agencies
  • Published: 19:17 August 10, 2008
  • Gulf News

Ergneti, Georgia: Russian troops took most of the capital of the separatist Georgian region of South Ossetia on Sunday after a three-day battle but the United States condemned Moscow's "dangerous and disproportionate" action.

Russia poured troops and tanks across its southern border into Georgia and bombed Georgian targets after Tbilisi attempted on Thursday evening to retake South Ossetia, a small pro-Russian province which broke away from Georgia in the 1990s.

In a possible opening of a second front in the conflict, Georgia accused Russia of starting a military operation on Sunday in Abkhazia, another separatist region of Georgia to the west of South Ossetia. Moscow denied involvement.

The crisis has alarmed the United States, Georgia's main ally, and unnerved investors in Russia, who sold stocks and the rouble heavily on Friday on concerns the conflict could spiral.

The West is vying for influence with Russia over oil and gas supply routes in the region and Russia is rankled by Georgia's pro-Western policies and its drive for NATO membership.

Georgia and Russia have accused each other of causing widespread civilian casualties since the fighting began.

State-controlled Russian television repeatedly spoke of a "humanitarian catastrophe" in South Ossetia after the Georgian attack, with more than 2,000 dead and thousands homeless.

A Georgian government source said on Saturday that 129 Georgian civilians and military had been killed and 748 wounded, many because of Russian bombing inside Georgia. Russia denied hitting civilian targets.

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