Truemors
Georgia break aways regions- Abkhazia and South Ossetia- continue to rebel against Tblisi control. With the backing of Russia, these separatist regions have not managed to get international recognition. According to NYT, a recent attack on South Ossetia caused two deaths. However, separatists claimed there were three deaths and 11 injured by the georgian attack. In reaction, the local authorities ordered a general mobilisation.
S Ossetia 'on alert' after shelling
The Georgian breakaway region of South Ossetia has ordered a "general mobilisation" of its forces after three people were killed in shelling, the province's government has said.
The order was given on Friday after Georgian forces fired shells into South Ossetia’s main city Tskhinvali and its outlying villages for several hours overnight, a spokeswoman for the separatist government said.
"A general mobilisation has been declared … If the shelling resumes, South Ossetia will respond with heavy weaponry," Irina Gagloyeva said.
General Mamuka Kurashvili, a Georgian army officer, said the shelling came in response to an attack on a Georgian checkpoint by South Ossetian forces.
Rising tensions
South Ossetia has not yet gained international recognition since it drove out Georgian government forces in 1992.
The rising tensions in South Ossetia come as Abkhazia, another breakaway region of Georgia, continues to assert its independence from Tblisi.
Both regions have formal ties with Russia, which contends that Georgia is preparing to take control of the separatist areas by force.
Tblisi accuses Moscow of trying to absorb both regions into Russia, in an attempt to thwart its attempts to join the Nato military alliance.
Russia’s foreign minister has called on Georgia not to use violence, according to a report by the Interfax news agency
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