Georgian authorities said earlier they had launched a police operation in the Kodori Gorge, the only Tbilisi-controlled part of Abkhazia, to disarm a militia led by Emzar Kvitsiani, a former presidential envoy to the area.
"The main stage of the anticrime operation will be over in a few hours," Georgi Arveladze said. "All the police must above all else ensure the protection of local citizens."
Arveladze also advised media to use the term "anticrime operation" when reporting on the situation in the Kodori Gorge.
"Some media [agencies] have called the situation a 'war'," Arveladze said. "This operation is against criminals and we recommend using 'anticrime operation'."
The operation started after Kvitsiani said he did not recognize Tbilisi's rule on Sunday. He said Georgian troops were moving to the area to disarm former members of his Hunter border guard battalion, which was formally disbanded in 2005, though most members refused to lay down their arms.
