Monday, August 4, 2008

Evacuation of women and children from Tskhinvali to be completed today

ცხინვალიდან ქალებისა და ბავშვების გაყვანა დღეს დასრულდება...

August 4, 2008

The evacuation of women and children from S. Ossetian territories is already in its third day.

Three of the towns evacuated (Dmenis, Kokhati, and Sarabuki) are located in the Liakhvi Gorge; the fourth is the capital Tskhinvali.

Georgian authorities are calling the decision a provocative move.

“For the past few days, women and children have been transported nonstop from Tskhinvali through the Roki Tunnel [a tunnel linking South and North Ossetia]. We believe that Tskhinvali is preparing for armed provocations against Georgian villages. The calm we’ve seen these past two days in the gorge [Liakhvi Gorge] is just another indication,” said Majoritarian MP Badri Basishvili who represents the Greater and Lesser Liakhvi Gorges.

According to the MP, quite a few young men in Vladikavkaz [capital of North Ossetia] have expressed a desire to go to Tskhinvali and help out. They have already begun to mobilize for the South Ossetian front.

Residents of Liakhvi Gorge have reported that Russian equipment and troops were brought into Tskhinvali all night long. Tskhinvali’s press committee has not confirmed this report.

--Interpressnews