Mayor killed in Georgian village

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The mayor of a Georgian town near the separatist region of Abkhazia has been killed in an explosion, the interior ministry says.

Muzhava mayor Gia Mebonia and other officials were inspecting a house damaged the previous night by shelling when the incident happened.

At least two other people, possibly including the home owner, were reported to have been injured in the blast.

A ministry spokesman blamed Abkhaz separatists and their Russian backers.

Shota Utiashvili told the AP agency that authorities found an antenna near the blast site and said this suggested the explosion was activated by remote control, but it was not possible to verify the claim.

Tension has been high in the region after fighting began on 7 August, when Georgia tried to retake South Ossetia by force after a series of lower-level clashes with Russian-backed rebels.

Russia launched a counter-attack and the Georgian troops were ejected from both South Ossetia and Abkhazia days later.