Georgia said government troops have regained control over the capital of the breakaway province, in skirmishes that have raised fears of an all out war involving Russia, which supports South Ossetia.
An attack orchestrated by the Georgian government in Tbilisi, involves aircraft, armor and heavy artillery. Fighting is raging in Tskhinvali, the capital of the separatist region of South Ossetia, which has seen ongoing skirmishes for months.
Separatist officials in South Ossetia told the Associated Press that at least 15 civilians were killed in the fighting overnight Thursday, Aug.
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Russia drops bombs
Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Russian peacekeepers have long been in South Ossetia Meanwhile, three Russian aircraft bombed a position in Georgia, a spokesman for the Georgian Interior Ministry told AFP news service.
The large-scale fighting in South Ossetia has raised fears that an all-out war will erupt involving Russia, which has been providing support for the separatist leadership in South Ossetia.
Gen. Mamuka Kurashvili, a Georgian military officer in charge of operations in the region, told local television that the attack was a move to "establish constitutional order in the region."
UN fails to reach accord
Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Relations between Georgia and Russia have been tense for months The escalating violence in the region led Russia to call an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Thursday. However, the meeting failed to produce an agreement.
Late Thursday, the 15-member council kicked off closed-door consultations on a Russian statement that would have urged Georgia and South Ossetia separatists to return to the negotiating table.
Russia had sought a statement urging both sides to renounce the use of force. But after more than two hours of bargaining, Security Council members were unable to find common ground on the Russian text, the AFP news service reported.
"We regret it has not yet been possible to agree a Security Council statement on this issue," Britain's deputy ambassador Karen Pierce said during the emergency meeting, adding that she hoped an agreement would be reached in the future. "But the absence of a statement tonight should not be taken as a sign that the Security Council is not engaged on this issue."
Civilians killed in air strikes
Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Churkin called Georgia aggressive and said all sides should renounce violence Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin has accused Georgia of aggressive behavior toward the breakaway region. He said the key sticking point in the talks was "the reluctance" of some members of the Council to accept a reference to "the renunciation of the use of force."
While the meeting was taking place, the Georgian government and South Ossetia separatists deployed fighter jets to carry out bombings on one another Friday. The aggression came when a ceasefire declared by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili was broken after a few hours, news reports said.
Many civilians have been killed by the airstrikes, Russia's Interfax news agency reported, citing the South Ossetia Health Ministry.
Abkhazia, another separatist region of Georgia, offered military aid to South Ossetia, while Russia called for both sides to act rationally.
Earlier visit from Steinmeier
In July, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for an end to the "spiral of violence" between the Georgian government in Tbilisi and its Russian-backed rebel regions. He presented a three-stage plan to break the deadlock. His plan was not successful, however.
The two rebel regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, have enjoyed de facto autonomy since the end of a civil war in 1994, and they receive extensive political aid and financial backing from Moscow.
Tbilisi has repeatedly accused Russian peacekeepers of supporting the separatists, while Moscow has accused Georgia of planning a full-scale invasion to re-establish control over the region.
(Deutsche Welle)
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