Georgian forces in conflict zone excess mandated number - Tskhinvali

TBILISI. Aug 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Co-Chairmen of the Mixed control Commission are likely to hold a working meeting one of these days, a source in the administration of the self-proclaimed republic of South Ossetia told Interfax-Military News Agency Thursday.

"However, Georgia must first start abiding by its commitments," he said.

"For instance, the Georgian battalion of the Mixed Peacekeeping Force is agreed to be 500 men strong, while at least 2,000 its servicemen and policemen are actually deployed in the zone now," he added.

"This is the main reason why Andrei Kokoshin's escort got under fire near the village of Sarabuk, as the Georgians did not want the Russian lawmaker to see their illegal forces," he said.

"The Georgian side does not let peacekeepers and OSCE into the areas where such forces are deployed," he added.