According to the Defense Ministry of breakaway Abkhazia, at least 10 people died during clashes between Georgian government troops and rebel militia fighters in upper Kodori Gorge in the past two days, Interfax news agency reported.

“The recent shootout took place near the village of Azhara at about 6 pm [local time] on Thursday,” Sergey Pustovalov, the breakaway region’s Defense Ministry spokesman, said.

Meanwhile, Georgian media sources reported that Georgian law enforcement agents have found an abandoned militia camp in a forested area of upper Kodori Gorge, but no clashes were reported.

The Abkhaz news agency Apsnipress reported on August 4, quoting chief of staff of the Abkhaz armed force Anatoly Zaitsev, that the situation in lower Kodori gorge is stable. The lower part of the gorge is under the secessionist authorities’ control. Zaitsev added that additional observation posts manned by Abkhaz reserve troops have been set up in lower Kodori Gorge.