Peacekeepers seize banned AA gun in S.Caucasus conflict zone

TBILISI, September 28 (RIA Novosti) - Russian peacekeepers have seized a 23-mm antiaircraft gun, banned under a ceasefire and disengagement agreement, in a conflict zone between Georgia and its breakaway province of South Ossetia, an assistant commander of the joint peacekeeping force said Thursday.

Vladimir Ivanov said the cannon had been seized by Russian peacekeepers and delivered to the deployment area of a Russian peacekeeping battalion.

The Georgian Defense Ministry said earlier Thursday the ZU-23-2 towed short-range air defense cannon was found in a South Ossetia-controlled village by a team of Georgian, Russian and South Ossetian monitors and observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

"The members of the monitoring group were not allowed to approach the antiaircraft cannon and confiscate it," the ministry said. "Servicemen of an unofficial South Ossetian armed unit, the so-called home guards, put up armed resistance."

It also said the Russian side had taken no action to enable the military observers to perform their functions and confiscate the illegal weapon.