MOSCOW. Aug 23 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia's top military brass said the latest developments in the Pankisi Gorge, which led to civilian casualties, are the result of Georgian security agencies' activities.
"Tbilisi is attempting to hide Georgian forces' activities to eliminate rebel groups in the Pankisi Gorge. However, when it became apparent that the operation failed and there were civilian casualties, they started to search for the so-called 'Russian trace,'" a high- ranking Russian military official told Interfax- Military News Agency.
"Thus, Tbilisi's reports on an alleged bombing of Georgian territory by Russian aircraft are nothing else but an attempt to hide its own erroneous activities," the source said.
He said that large-scale exercises involving 1,500 Georgian servicemen are scheduled to start in the Pankisi Gorge on August 25. U.S.-supplied Iroquois helicopters are expected to take part.
"Yesterday, Nika Laliashvili, head of the Georgian Security Ministry's press center, said there are some small armed groups in the Pankisi Gorge. Drastic measures will be taken against them," the source said.
He believes that "Georgia's 'drastic measures' might have led to civilian casualties in the Pankisi Gorge."
Tbilisi said that three civilians were killed and seven injured as a result of Russian air strikes in the Pankisi Gorge.