Although villages of buffer zone are not bombed anymore, the residents of the villages are still living in feeling of constant fear. Gunfire is heard in the villages bordering with conflict zone is still heard; people cannot relax and they shelter their relatives in other villages.
People are still looted in the villages of buffer zone. People are afraid to send cattle to pastures. On February 13 unidentified people stole 11 cows from the farm of the local entrepreneur Nodar Maisuradze in the village of Kvemo Khviti.
The farm is located not far from the settlement in the village of Kvemo Khviti. Guram Bitadze, watchman and herdsman, reported that armed person approached him and ordered to send cows out of the fenced area of the farm and then follow him; the man was speaking in Ossetian accent. Bitadze recalled that the attacker was speaking in Russian too. Bitadze obeyed his orders and followed.
300-400 meters away three more armed Ossetian men joined them.
According to the herdsman, Ossetian attackers made him pasture the cows towards the village of Tskunari (Ossetian village). Having reached the fields of Murguti the Bitadze was released. (Fields of Murguti borders with the lands of the village of Kvemo Khviti and Russian-Ossetian checkpoint is opened there).
“When we reached the fields of Murguti they set me free. Before that they were discussing with each other to kill me or not. Finally, they told me to run away and I hardly reached the village,” said Guram Bitadze.
Second division of Shida Kartli regional police department launched criminal investigation on the incident. Vova Jugheli, head of regional police department, said: “The investigation was launched; however, the stolen cows are not on Georgian territory any longer.”
Jugheli reported to journalists that Georgian police stations cannot be opened in buffer zone so far because it is impossible currently. The Ministry of Internal Affairs seriously discusses the issue. Before the problem is resolved residents of the buffer zone lose their cows every day.”
Tea Tedliashvili, Gori
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