Reports from Caucausus nation of Georgia say Russian fighter jets have bombed military positions and the town of Gori, outside of the breakaway territory of South Ossetia.
Russia says it has taken control of the regional capital of South Ossetia, Tskhinvali. Russian officials say about 2,000 people have been killed since hostilities started two days ago, while Georgia puts the figure at around 200. Speaking in Beijing, US President George W. Bush called on Moscow to respect Georgia's territory. Russia, which has taken control of the airspace in the conflict region, blames Tbilisi for the fighting and has warned NATO against interfering. France, holder of the rotating EU presidency, has proposed a three-step plan aimed at ending the hostilities in South Ossetia. The crisis escalated after Russia deployed further troops to support separatists in South Ossetia against advancing Georgian forces. Georgia has now declared a "state of war", giving President Mikheil Saakashvili the right to impose curfews and restrict movement, but stopping short of martial law.
(Deutsche Welle)
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