Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili said on July 27 that the “provocation” staged by rebel warlord Emzar Kvitsiani in upper Kodori Gorge has been “orchestrated from abroad by those forces that are not interested in the stability in Georgia.”

Okruashvili, who is in Kodori Gorge together with Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili, said that the “major phase” of operations is now over, as government forces control all of the villages in the gorge.

Okruashvili said that there have been attempts from Russian peacekeeping forces to provide assistance to the militia group.

“But here, there are enough [Georgian forces] that we would have prevented these attempts,” the Georgian Defense Minister told Rustavi 2 television in a phone conversation.
 
He said that “at least ten tons of ammunition” have been seized, along with STRELA and IGLA anti-aircraft missile systems.

Okruashvili said that the operation has been completed with “minimal casualties,” but admitted that an elderly woman was killed in an army helicopter bombing of Chkhalta village .

He said that rebel militiamen used the peaceful population as a shield, “which resulted in the death of a woman.”

Okruashvili said that the civilian died when militiamen opened fire against army helicopters in the village of Chkhalta and the Georgian government forces fired back.

“Everyone should know one thing: that we will response adequately if there is a threat against our policemen or soldiers,” Okruashvili said.

He said that only two officers from the Interior Ministry were injured as a result of the operation, which was launched in upper Kodori Gorge on July 25 – three days after the local warlord Emzar Kvitsiani announced his defiance towards the central authorities. Officials say they do not know Kvitsiani’s whereabouts.

Okruashvili said that the second phase of the operation is currently underway, involving a search for Kvitsiani and “other criminals who have been hiding in the gorge for many years already.”

He said that Kvitsiani no longer has a "large number of fighters.”
 
The Defense Minister also noted that “law enforcers will remain” in the gorge to secure peace and order there.

The Interior and Defense Ministers will also remain in the gorge “as long as necessary,” Okruashvili added.