Acts of violence involving attacks on Abkhaz militias in the Gali district in the last few days are “deeply detrimental to the interests” of the Georgian and Abkhaz sides, the UN Observer Mission said on December 28.

Abkhaz warlord Otar Turnanba, a deputy chief of the Abkhaz police in the Gali district, died in an attack by an improvised explosive device near the village of Chuburkhinji in the Gali district on December 25. Another local police official accompanying Turnanba also died as a result of this attack.

Alik Khishba, chief of the Abkhaz police in the village of Otobaia in the Gali district, was murdered in a separate attack on December 26.

“The Mission condemns these and all acts of violence… The Mission calls upon them [the Georgian and Abkhaz sides] to work together in identifying and bringing to justice those responsible.  It also appeals to them to engage in dialogue in order to prevent any escalation of the situation on the ground,” the UNOMIG said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Georgian media sources reported on December 28 that the Abkhaz side has deployed additional troops in the predominantly Georgian-populated Gali district in response to the recent attacks, which Sokhumi claims were orchestrated by Tbilisi.

Opposition lawmaker from the Conservative Party Zviad Dzidziguri called on the authorities on December 28 “to undertake concrete measures” to protect Georgian citizens in the Gali district.