TSKHINVALI, August 30. /TASS/. The South Ossetian border service has begun a "humanitarian operation" in the area of the Uista settlement located near the border with Georgia, the republic’s State Security Committee informed on Friday.
"Due to the provocative actions of the Georgian side near the South-Ossetian-Georgian border <…> and in accordance with the decision of the republic’s Commander-in-Chief Anatoly Bibilov, the forces and units of the South Ossetia’s Committee for State Security have launched a humanitarian operation in the area of the South Ossetian settlement of Uista. The humanitarian action is strictly peaceful," the message informs.
"The actions of the South Ossetian Committee for State Security’s Border Service are aimed to maintain the border regime, ensure the security of the republic’s citizens and stabilize the military-political situation in the region," the statement continues.
South Ossetian Presidential Spokesperson Dina Gassieva informed TASS that the humanitarian action includes "ensuring the security of every resident of the settlement." "The surroundings of the settlement are under control so that its residents do not feel tense due to an unlawfully placed Georgian police roadblock. These are security measures," Gassieva said, adding that the humanitarian action is set in place for the period of negotiations.
The next round of talks between South Ossetia and Georgia is set for Monday, September 2.
Earlier this week, South Ossetia informed of illegal construction of a roadblock by Georgia on South Ossetian territory near the Uista settlement. The republic demanded Georgia to remove the roadblock; however, so far, Georgia has refused to do that. On August 27, South Ossetian leader Anatoly Bibilov visited the settlement to introduce additional security measures.
Bibilov tasked South Ossetian servicemen to deploy additional posts in the border zone near the village of Uista. Armored vehicles have been conducting regular patrol missions along the frontier.