ZUGDIDI. Feb 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgian police detained over 20 people in Samegrelo who claimed they were guerillas active in Abkhazia, Interior Minister Giorgy Baramidze told journalists in Zugdidi.
"The-so called partisans were engaged in smuggling from Abkhazia and robbed local residents," Baramidze said.
The suspects "were closely linked to Abkhaz bandit groups," he said.
"They raided a police department in the village of Liya in the Tsalenjikha district and killed four policemen," he said.
The operation was implemented in ten locations and fire was exchanged in all but one. "Several bandits were injured and fled to Abkhazia," he said.
Special forces used helicopters to land near the village of Anakliye near a Russian peacekeeping post. The Russians were not warned in advance and took steps to defend themselves when the Georgian forces appeared.
Samegrelo residents have positively assessed the operation.