Georgian Interior Ministry reports on continuation of special operation in Lopota gorge

Georgia, Tbilisi, Aug. 31 / Trend N.Kirtskhalia / A special operation continues in the Lopota gorge at Dagestan section of the Russian-Georgian border, the head of the press center of the Interior Ministry of Georgia Salome Makharadze said on Friday. She said the first stage of the special operation is completed. "But there are subdivisions of the Interior in the gorge. I cannot tell you about other details at this stage," Makharadze said. Special operation in the Lopota gorge to neutralise a group of saboteurs began on August28. Some 11 militants, according to the Interior Ministry, have been killed, but presumably a few wounded are still hiding in the woods. Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry issued a footage taken during a special operation in the Lopota gorge. Armed men who were killed in a shootout can be seen. The footage also shows weapons of those killed. The Interior Ministry also issued a comment of a border guard, who himself remained a hostage instead of five young people kidnapped in Lapankuri. According to the border guard, a group of border guards searched for five young men in the Lopota gorged when it got into ambush by an armed group. "About ten armed men surrounded our car. We were by force taken out of the car and told that we are taken hostage. Then a few more members of the armed group with five missing appeared. I told them that five young people will be a heavy burden for them. Since I am a representative of the Border Police, the head of the sector, I'll be more valuable to them, and encouraged them to let go of my staff and these five people," the guard said. He said he did not know what goal the armed men had. As noted by the guard, they had heavy weapons, mortars, machine guns and automatic firearms. "We went down into the gorge, where the Interior Ministry's representative said. After their conversation, I was told that they no longer needed me, and let me go," the guard said. Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at agency@trend.az