TBILISI. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgian State Security Minister Valery Khaburzania has said guerilla units in the Pankisi Gorge might step up their activity.
If guerillas try to enter or exit the Pankisi Gorge, Georgian law enforcement and security agencies will take proper measures, so that "their number in the gorge at least will not increase," Khaburzania told Interfax on Wednesday.
"Preventive measures in relation to the group of armed men in the Pankisi Gorge may not necessarily be forceful," Khaburzania said. "There are a lot of other methods to neutralize this armed group in the Pankisi Gorge," he said.
When asked whether Chechen field commander Ruslan Gelayev is in the Pankisi Gorge, the minister admitted that he does not possess definite information on this score.
At the same time, Khaburzania noted that "certain Russian structures have a different attitude towards Gelayev."
"There are certain Russian agencies that are trying to establish contacts with Gelayev and view his status absolutely differently," he claimed.