Capital of Georgia's separatist region comes under heavy fire

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The capital of Georgia's separatist region of South Ossetia came under heavy fire early Friday, just hours after Georgia's president declared a unilateral cease-fire. South Ossetia's leader denounced Georgia for treachery, but Georgia was responding to rebel attacks, news reports said. The new violence sharply raised fears of an all-out war that could engulf much of the Caucasus region and perhaps draw in Russia. "The assault is coming from all directions" said a brief statement on the separatist government's Web site. Officials in South Ossetia and Georgia could not immediately be reached by telephone by The Associated Press. A separate statement cited South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity as saying that his forces were in combat with Georgian troops on the outskirts of the city, Tskhinvali.