Abkhazia region claims to shoot down unmanned Georgian spy plane
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Abkhazian defense forces shot down an unmanned Georgian spy plane Tuesday, officials in the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia said. Georgia's Defense Ministry denied any such incident.
Tensions have grown between the Black Sea region and the central Georgian government since Abkhazia last month formally appealed for the world community to recognize it as independent. The Abkhazian parliament cited Kosovo's declaration of independence as a precedent in making its appeal.
An official with the Abkhaz Security Council said the flying object was shot down over the sea as it headed south around noon Tuesday. Residents of Abkhazia's main city, Sukhumi, also reported hearing a buzzing sound around that time.