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Georgian helicopter 'shot down' Georgia army helicopter fired on
(about 4 hours later)
Authorities in the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia say they have shot down a Georgian government helicopter, Russian media report. Georgia says one of its helicopters came under fire in the breakaway South Ossetia region, but managed to land safely without casualties.
The action came after it violated airspace South Ossetia claims as its own, reports quoted officials saying. The aircraft was carrying the defence minister and deputy chief of staff.
A Georgian commander said a helicopter had been fired at but was not downed. Earlier South Ossetian officials had said the helicopter was shot down after violating the region's airspace.
South Ossetia has run its own affairs with Russian support since the war of the 1990s and has resisted moves by the Tbilisi government to rein it in.South Ossetia has run its own affairs with Russian support since the war of the 1990s and has resisted moves by the Tbilisi government to rein it in.
The interior ministry helicopter was shot down after its crew failed to respond to requests that they land or change their route, RIA-Novosti quoted South Ossetian government spokeswoman Irina Gagloyeva as saying. Correspondents say tensions over South Ossetia have grown in recent months, with Russia accusing Georgia of inflaming the situation by calling for the withdrawal of Russian peacekeeping troops.
The fate of the crew was not immediately known, she said, according to the agency. 'Plunging'
Tensions are never far from the surface and violence in the area flares occasionally, correspondents say. The government said the aircraft was damaged and made an emergency landing in Georgian-controlled territory.
Russia still has peacekeeping troops in South Ossetia although the Georgian parliament has called for them to be replaced with an international force. For 10 to 15 minutes, we were actually plunging... But the experience of the pilot saved the helicopter Irakli Okruashvili Georgian Defence Minister
"No-one died," Paata Bedianishvili, commander of the Georgian battalion in the joint peacekeeping force in the area, told Georgian TV.
Defence Minister Irakli Okruashvili said the Mi-8 helicopter had come under fire during a flight to western Georgia.
"For 10 to 15 minutes, we were actually plunging," he said.
"But the experience of the pilot saved the helicopter."
Earlier, South Ossetian government spokeswoman Irina Gagloyeva said the helicopter had been shot down after ignoring repeated requests to change course or land.
She said the incident was the latest in a series of incursions.