Abkhazian policemen injured in an explosion

6 Abkhazian policemen have been wounded as a result of an explosion in the Gali region, representative of the legitimate Abkhazian Government in the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region Tornike Kilanava has reported. The explosion happened early on Thursday, while a van containing de facto Abkhazian law enforcers was crossing the Otobaia-Nabakevi border, according to Georgian officials. The injured policemen, Ruslan Ashuba, Otar Amichba, Jansugh Tvizba, Narsou Amichba, Guram Badia and Oleg Amichba, have been taken to Gali hospital, information agency Apsnypress reports.

The authorities in Georgia link the incident with a conflict between Russian troops deployed in Georgia’s breakaway region and Abkhazian policemen. “The incident happened at the Khurcha checkpoint, which is a quite profitable place to be and the Russian occupiers and Abkhazian policemen have an ongoing fight to take control of it. Today’s explosion is linked to this conflict as well,” Tornike Kilanava noted.

De facto Abkhazian officials have blamed the Georgian side for the explosion. The de facto head of the Gali Regional Police Department, Beslan Adleiba, said that an investigation into the incident is considering the possibility that a Georgian group arranged the attack as a diversion.

Law enforcers found a 75-metre long cable, accumulator batteries and a black mask at the scene of the incident, Apsnypress has reported based on information provided by the de facto head of the Gali Regional Department of Internal Affairs, Vadim Ghvinjia.