14:10, 24 June 2004

Georgian media make doubt about authenticity of firing incident

On June 23, Georgian TV channels cast doubt on the report broadcast by the Georgian media on June 22 that a Georgian woman living in the village of Argvitsi had been wounded when two platoons of the Osetian peacekeeping battalion exercised in firing in the area of the village of Pris, situated near Argvitsi. Wounded Tamar Gambashidze has proved to be an Osetin. 70-year-old Tamar Tadtayeva, in her own words, "had felt bad all day long and does not remember why she fell when she went to a spring for water. The wound on Ms Tadtayeva's head looks much more like an injury with a deep abrasion. No proof that the woman was wounded by a shell fragment exists.

Besides, Colonel Friyev, senior commander of the Osetian battalion, said soldiers had used only light firearms, automatic rifles and 5.45mm Kalashnikov hand machine-guns during the firing exercises.

Editors note: See also the article "Woman wounded during military exercises".

Author: Inga Kochiyeva, CK correspondent

Source: Caucasian Knot