The information and press committee of South Ossetia, a self-proclaimed republic in Georgia, said the Georgian side had opened fire from mortars and small arms on a residential area in the north of Tskhinvali, the capital of the region.
But Georgian television company Imedi reported attacks from the South Ossetian side on Georgian positions. The company said South Ossetian troops also fired in the direction of Russian peacekeeping troops, stationed in the zone since a bloody conflict broke out in the early 1990s.
South Ossetia, which declared its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union, has been a sensitive issue in bilateral relations between Georgia and Russia. Georgian authorities are seeking to bring it back under their control, and have accused Russia of encouraging separatist sentiments.
The situation in the conflict zone was aggravated after Georgia, without consulting with South Ossetia, started building a road near the villages of Avnevi and Nikozi. On Wednesday, Russian peacekeepers blocked the construction until consultations had taken place.
