Explosions in Abazia 2008 - a series of terrorist attacks in the territory of the partially recognized state of the Republic of Abkhazia from June to July 2008 , as a result of which 4 people were killed and 18 were injured.
| Explosions in Abkhazia in the summer of 2008 | |
|---|---|
| Overview Information | |
| Attack target | bullying the local population |
| date | June — July 2008 |
| Attack method | bomb blasts |
| Dead | four |
| The wounded | 18 |
| The number of terrorists | is unknown |
| Organizers | Georgia (according to the statement of Abkhazia) Abkhaz criminal organizations (according to Georgia) |
Content
Explosions
June 18th
On June 18, two bombs, with an interval of 5 minutes, exploded on railway tracks in the vicinity of the Abkhaz capital of Sukhumi . No one was injured from the explosions, but the section of the railway where the attack occurred was damaged [1] .
June 29th
On June 29, two bombs, also with an interval of 5 minutes, exploded in the center of Gagra , injuring 6 people. The first explosion occurred near the Gagra market, the second explosion occurred near a supermarket [2] . One 38-year-old woman received shrapnel wounds in the eye and was sent for treatment to a hospital in Sochi ( Russia ) [3] .
June 30
On June 30, two explosions occurred in the center of Sukhumi, of which 6 people were injured. Both explosions occurred near the Sukhumi market. According to law enforcement officials of Abkhazia, the explosive devices did not contain objects generating fragments, which suggests that the purpose of the explosions was to intimidate the population [4] . Four out of six victims were rushed to the Sukhumi City Clinical Hospital [5] .
July 2
On July 2, a car that passed the Georgian Interior Ministry post approached the post of Russian peacekeepers. At a distance of about 300 meters, an object was thrown out of the car, which subsequently exploded. Then the car turned around and freely passed the Georgian police post. As a result of the explosion, no one was injured [6] .
July 6th
On July 6, at 10:58 p.m. local time, a bomb exploded in a cafe in the city of Gali , killing four and injuring six people. Among the dead were the acting head of the Gali branch of the security service of Abkhazia, an employee of the border control of Abkhazia, a translator of the UN Mission in Georgia in the Gali district, and one local resident. The victims were distributed between the hospitals of Gali and Sukhumi [7] [8] [9] .
Consequences
In response to the bombings on June 29 and 30, Abkhazia closed the border with Georgia on July 1 [10] . Residents of the Gali district, who were at that time in Georgia, returned to their homeland within three days [11] .
Reaction
- Republic of Abkhazia
The Abkhaz government accused Georgia of preparing and carrying out all 7 terrorist attacks [12] . Sukhoi called the bombings on June 18 a terrorist act against Russian citizens who recently began repairing a section of Sukhumi-Ochamchire on the Abkhaz railway to the detriment of Georgia [1] . The bombings on June 29 and 30 were also called terrorist acts, committed to undermine the reputation of Abkhazia in the tourism sector [13] . Abkhazia also accused Georgia of state terrorism [7] .
- Georgia
The Georgian side categorically rejected the accusations of Abkhazia. Defense Minister David Kezerashvili said all the charges are "not serious." Official Tbilisi said the bombings were the result of a power struggle between various criminal groups in Abkhazia. Georgian parliamentarian Nika Rurua said the bombings were aimed at "terror against the local population" in order to strengthen anti-Georgian sentiment in the region [7] [12] [13] .
- Russia
After the July 2 explosion at the post of Russian peacekeepers, the assistant commander of the peacekeeping force, Alexander Diordiev, accused the Georgian side of planning to destabilize the situation around the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict [6] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Two explosions on the railway Occurred in Sukhumi . Civil Georgia (June 19, 2008).
- ↑ Six people were injured in the explosions in Gagra . Civil Georgia (June 29, 2008).
- ↑ The administration of the Gagra region will provide material assistance to the victims of the June 29 explosion . Administration of the President of the Republic of Abkhazia (July 2, 2008). Date of treatment July 4, 2008. Archived July 21, 2011.
- ↑ Six people were injured As a result of explosions in Sukhumi . Civil Georgia (June 30, 2008).
- ↑ The condition of the injured in the June 30 explosion in the Sukhumi market area is satisfactory . Administration of the President of the Republic of Abkhazia (July 2, 2008). Date of treatment July 4, 2008. Archived July 21, 2011.
- ↑ 1 2 An explosion occurred near the checkpoint of Russian peacekeepers . Civil Georgia (July 2, 2008).
- ↑ 1 2 3 In Gali, four people died from an explosion . Civil Georgia (July 7, 2008).
- ↑ 4 people died in an explosion in the center of the city of Gali . Administration of the President of the Republic of Abkhazia (July 7, 2008). Date of treatment July 8, 2008. Archived July 21, 2011.
- ↑ Vice-President Raul Khadjimba called on the population of Abkhazia to be vigilant . Administration of the President of the Republic of Abkhazia (July 7, 2008). Date of treatment July 8, 2008. Archived July 21, 2011.
- ↑ Sukhumi blocked the administrative border . Civil Georgia (July 1, 2008).
- ↑ The situation in the Gali border region is stable . Administration of the President of the Republic of Abkhazia (July 2, 2008). Date of treatment July 4, 2008. Archived July 21, 2011.
- ↑ 1 2 Abkhazia Blasts Scare Tourists . Institute for War & Peace Reporting (July 3, 2008). Date of treatment July 4, 2008. Archived July 8, 2008.
- ↑ 1 2 Four explosions occurred in Abkhazia in two days . Civil Georgia (June 30, 2008).