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.
