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144-549: 2012: Lopota incident The Georgian Special Operations Command ( Georgian : სპეციალური ოპერაციების სარდლობა ) are the special operations forces component of the Defense Forces of Georgia . They have been established to conduct special operations, special-and long range reconnaissance, military counter intelligence, counter terrorism, counter insurgency, amphibious and asymmetric warfare in and outside Georgia . Georgian special operation forces are subordinated under

288-670: A "trap for the mujahideen of the Caucasus Emirate " by "betraying and killing the brave sons of the Caucasus", adding that "this is by no means the first time they have taken such a treacherous step in a bid to appease the Putinist regime in Russia," and threatened revenge attacks in case special operation was not stopped. The statement also appeared in another Russian Islamist and North Caucasus insurgency-connected website Kavkaz Center (KC), but

432-545: A "well-armed and well-trained armed group appeared on the Chechen and Dagestan section of the Georgian-Russian border" and took Georgian citizens hostage, and that this group was "destroyed" in a shootout after having ignored repeated demands to surrender, adding that military unmanned aerial vehicles have been deployed at the scene. Late on August 29, National Security Council of Georgia Chairman Giga Bokeria said that it

576-491: A Caucasus Emirate representative calling himself Abu Khamza, who stated: "All the necessary information is being gathered now. There should be a thorough investigation into the causes that led to such consequences. Only then we can make an official statement with conclusions and assessments of what happened." Chechen secular separatist leader Akhmed Zakayev said that his Chechen Republic of Ichkeria 's government-in-exile has already established "a special committee" to investigate

720-466: A NATO operational certification for GSOF. The years-long assessment and enhancement of operational capabilities culminated in a final certification during a 2017 exercise in which several Polish special forces components played the opposing force against their Georgian counterparts. GSOF are thereby NATO certified and qualified to operate a Special Operations Task Group or SOTG within Alliance structures, which

864-508: A Russian citizen of Chechen ethnicity holding a refugee status in Austria, was arrested. Chatayev was put on trial for illegal weapon possession but protests his innocence, saying he was actually a negotiator for the government and that he was carrying no arms; he was later acquitted. The operation was officially concluded on October 30. Many details of the clash, the most deadly in Georgia since

1008-425: A constant cycle numerous types of firing drills are being exercised through day and night by one group while another group is training on explosives , a third one in hand-to-hand combat , a fourth in weapons specialisation and so forth. The Ranger Battalion was established as SOF support component in 2009. The training center consists of following: -S1 -S2 -S3 -S4 -S5 -S6 -S7 Function and mission of

1152-454: A crisis or arbitrary scenario. Applicants who pass these initial tests will be admitted to the initial preparation course, which lasts about 67 days. There they will deal with following subjects: During the preparation for the actual training program, the candidates will acquire the minimum of required skills and experience to pass the specialization course. Initial admission criteria are restricted to ages 18–30 inclusive, Georgian citizenship,

1296-456: A customs checkpoint. –Akhmed Chatayev's version of the incident The person detained as an alleged militant turned out to be Akhmed Chataev (Chatayev), a one-handed ethnic Chechen refugee and Russian citizen who has received refugee status in Austria and lived in the Pankisi region for more than two years. On September 6, Information Center of Kakheti announced that Chatayev, described as

1440-444: A distance of 3,200 meters in 14:24 minutes or less and 10 pull-ups, an Intelligence test and combined tests in army awareness in which 80% of the answers must be correct and finally a recommendation and citation letter from the candidates acting unit commander. Active servicemen who can prove a satisfactory medical report and successfully passed the entrance examinations, as well as all other requirements, will be allowed to take part in

1584-555: A female sniper. Passing the special forces sniper course is one of the most challenging in the Georgian military. The four main education and training schools are the Special Forces School, Rangers School, Snipers School and Airborne School, which vary in admission criteria, requirements and difficulty. To become special forces member, servicemen have to successfully complete every single school. The qualification and training itself

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1728-647: A firefight, in which 10 more members of the armed group and three Georgian troops were killed. Georgian forces used helicopters and aerial drones. The killed Georgian troops were announced as being two officers of the Interior Ministry's special purpose police unit, Major Archil Chokheli (who was also the sambo coach of the national team of Georgia and former Europe and world champion in sambo, as well as former champion in kurash ) and Captain Solomon Tsiklauri, and Corporal Vladimer Khvedelidze who served as

1872-557: A former Interior Ministry official who has been put on Interpol 's wanted list on torture charges, claimed to be in possession of evidence that it was Merabishvili who had plotted the "adventure" in Lopota gorge as a provocation to discredit Akhalaia brothers as a part of a power struggle within the ministry. Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava dismissed Data Akhalaia's allegations due to their "absurdity" and hinted that Bacho Akhalaia's associates were targeting UNM party activists upon instructions from

2016-542: A funeral attended by high officials including President Saakashvili. The funeral of Major Chokheli took place in Galavani on September 4, attended by Saakashvili, Interior Minister Bachana Akhalaia , chief of the National Olympic Committee Gia Natsvlishvili, other officials, and representatives of the opposition. Saakashvili and Akhalaia also attended the funeral of Corporal Khvedelidze, who too

2160-569: A group of 16 Vainakhs decided to cross the Russian border on their own initiative, but were refused a passage and intercepted by Georgian Interior Ministry special forces deployed there by helicopter. After the negotiations through prominent Chechen mediators did not bring a breakthrough in the standoff, as the militants responded to the demands they would disarm by insisting they would surrender their weapons only after they reached Pankisi, seven (not 11) of them and three Georgians (including two handlers of

2304-416: A height above 170 cm, a secondary or higher education and a positive report from the medical commission provided by the school itself. Physical requirements are: being able to perform a minimum of 50 push-ups, 50 sit-ups, running a distance of 3,200 m (10,500 ft) in 16:00 minutes or less and 8 pull-ups. The theoretical test on general skills must be passed with a rating of at least 60%. Afterward,

2448-728: A limited role during the 2001 Macedonia insurgency and participated in the Iraq War from 2003 until the complete withdrawal of the Georgian contingent in 2008 due to an escalation of hostilities in South Ossetia . Another $ 11.5 million were raised by the US in 2008 for special forces training. However, as a result of the Russo-Georgian conflict the US ceased providing any type of assistance in training Georgian forces, including special forces as unofficial and undeclared embargoes were in full effect against

2592-587: A local Dagestani member of the Russian Border Guard , apparently recruited by insurgents, shot dead two of his fellow border guards and then killed at least five SOBR special purpose police officers from Russia's Altai Republic before being gunned down himself. The day before (August 28), Dagestani rebels attacked a base of Russian Interior Ministry special forces, reportedly seizing its armory building and killing at least two Internal Troops paramilitary soldiers. According to Caucasian Knot tally, during

2736-453: A marksmanship level expert or I class to be accepted to the course. Other criteria are a Common Army Awareness Test, a Memory Test, the Shooting from Sniper Rifles, psychological tests and a physical test which equals that of Special Forces School with the exactly same requirements. Special forces personnel passing these tests will undergo a 12-week-long course engaging following subjects: During

2880-559: A medic with the Defence Ministry 's special operations forces . On August 30, Georgian police released video footage showing dead bodies of several men in camouflage uniforms with their faces censored, and weapons recovered from the site of the clash, including a variety of automatic weapons, several anti-tank grenade launchers and at least two sniper rifles (one of them equipped with a noise suppressor), as well as communication and night vision equipment, Russian passports and copies of

3024-445: A much higher value for them. The armed group was offered negotiations but refused the unprofitable conditions and threatened to take the negotiator. In that moment Georgia's anti-terror unit opened fire and killed one of the militants. During the firefight 10 more were killed but also one MIA security officer. In midst of the shootout, the army special forces corpsman tried to evacuate a wounded officer but got attacked and both men died on

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3168-436: A negotiator to talk with a group of 17 Chechen and Kist militants that intended to travel to Chechnya via Dagestan. According to Chatayev, he was unarmed and was wounded when an unknown shooter suddenly shot him in his left leg as he was waiting for a reply from the authorities after relaying by phone the group's refusal to disarm. After that, he hid and barely survived for 10 days without any food nor water before surrendering to

3312-548: A newly created anti terror force which by that time had no official designation. Afterwards as a result of major reforms in 2005, the Counterterrorist Center, now part of the State Security Service was officially established. The operators of this new unit had undergone retraining, seminars and joint operations with foreign agencies and special services from various NATO countries and other organisations such as

3456-858: A pivotal role in creating a training and education basis for GSOF to be able to conduct training and qualification befitting US and NATO standards. As of 2017 the GSOF are being prepared by SOCOM for instructor and advisory roles for conventional multinational forces and be able to assist, conduct and lead joint training exercises and international missions like their US counterparts. At the same time GSOF operators receive advanced training by JW GROM in NATO operational procedures while working together with AGAT and qualify in Polish lead multinational special forces manoeuvers for NATO certifications and access to broader education. The years-long cultivation of cooperation and mutual assistance helps

3600-510: A platoon consisting of 34 members of the newly formed unit was stationed in Mamuša as part of the Turkish contingent. They were distinguishable by their shoulder patches and berets but used Turkish equipment. Their primary task was to provide security to the town and protect ethnic minorities from reprisal and violence. Later the contingent was reinforced by an infantry company under German command. During

3744-569: A reference to the memory of lekianoba , the 17th–18th century raids in which bands of Lezgi highlanders from Dagestan ravaged the Kakhetian countryside of Georgia. On August 30, Georgia deployed sappers into the Laputa Gorge, who, according to unofficial information, would be used to set mine fields at this section of the border with Russia. Nevertheless, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Nino Kalandadze said that Georgia will continue its open policy to

3888-683: A relative of Dushuev. Most of the 200 recruits had left peacefully before the crisis in Lapota began, returning to their homes (in Georgia, the European Union, Turkey and Egypt) after the group's Georgian handlers refused to allow them to cross into Russia. The report names Georgia's Deputy Interior Minister Givi Lordkipanidze as the direct head of the operation in Lopota, which it says was coordinated by and approved by Saakashvili. Omega Special Task Force The Special Task Force "Omega" ( Georgian : განსაკუთრებული დანიშნულების ქვედანაყოფი "ომეგა" )

4032-703: A serious misunderstanding." According to the Russian paper Kommersant , another alternative version "actively discussed among the Chechens living in Georgia" is that the gunmen belonged to a Chechen armed group heading for a meeting of field commanders with the Caucasus Emirate leader Doku Umarov in Dagestan and had entered Georgia's territory through the Chechen section of the Russian-Georgian border, but got lost along

4176-598: Is a Georgian élite Special Forces unit, one of the first such formations in the country, created in 1992. The Omega unit was formed 1992 under the supervision of Georgia's Information-Analytical and Reconnaissance Bureau, a successor to the Georgian branch of the former Soviet KGB (Committee for State Security), chaired by Irakli Batiashvili . The unit was specialized primarily in counter-terrorism and covert operations, also oriented to counter organized crime and illicit trade. Its operatives cooperated with and were trained by Western intelligence services, which also provided

4320-473: Is generally prohibited for women to be part of the special operations forces. However, that regulation does not deny them entrance to the special operations forces in general. There have been cases of female individuals passing the application and qualification courses, in one recorded case even surpassing the scores of some of their fellow male candidates. However such individuals were excluded from combat assignment. The special operations forces reportedly have had

4464-443: Is monitored by NATO instructors of leading special forces units. In addition US and Georgian special forces regularly conduct joint training exercises. The overall admission criteria include physical, psychological health and durability. The applicants passing rate for special forces never exceeds 10% and lies usually somewhere around 5%. At least 90% of the applicants have served in peacekeeping operations. To be allowed for selection it

Georgian Special Operations Command - Misplaced Pages Continue

4608-470: Is not a Georgian dream; this can't be a Georgian dream." At his own rally on the same day, Saakashvili said about "a very dangerous military provocation in the Lopota Gorge" related to an alleged greater Russian plot to "give them [Russian government] a pretext to use our internal disorders and internal divide for implementation of their sinister plans" and charged that his opponents who are "weeping today for

4752-506: Is plausible that the group had links with anti-Moscow groups in Dagestan and "obvious" that their presence in Georgia was connected with "developments there", presumably meaning the reported buildup of the Russian Ground Forces in the western districts of Dagestan bordering on Georgia (earlier that year, about 20,000 Russian Army soldiers have been transferred from Chechnya to Dagestan). A more detailed Georgian government account

4896-521: Is required to have served at least two years in the defense forces. The candidate's general abilities and physical conditions will be tested with their current commander's recommendation taken into account. In order to apply for Ranger School, students are required to be active members of the defense forces "Category A" and must not be older than 30 years. Rank can vary from private to captain. The candidates will be subjected to complex logical tests in land navigation/topography , firearms and tactics. To pass

5040-486: Is schooled and refined. Admission criteria are strictly restricted to ages 21 to 31 inclusive, attested experience in leadership is preferred. The applicants must pass every single course of the Ranger School with satisfactory results to be admitted for selection. Admission requirements for the initial application are split into physical tests which include being able to perform a minimum of 60 push-ups, 66 sit-ups, running

5184-592: Is unique for non-Nato countries. Joint exercises and qualification with Polish SOF are commenced on a regular basis since 2013. Several elite units were created in 1992. Those included Omega and Alpha , as well as another undisclosed special unit of the State Security. They were formed under the supervision of Igor Giorgadze , who took orders directly from then-Chairman of the Parliament Eduard Shevardnadze . In contrast to their Soviet counterparts,

5328-405: Is unrestricted. Any serviceman who has a satisfactory medical report will be admitted to the course which will take three weeks. Subjects will be the history of parachute development, material parts, theoretical parts of parachute jumping, rules of movement and airdrome, aircraft tour, parachute jumping elements on land, special cases during jumping, packing the parachute and practical jumps. During

5472-500: The 2001 insurgency in Macedonia the special forces platoon was deployed at the border to combat and disarm insurgent forces that intended to cross over into Kosovo. In August 2003 Georgia deployed a 70 men strong detachment to Iraq. The contingent consisted of special forces, a sapper unit and medical personnel. The special forces were stationed in Baiji, Iraq and served as QRF . Their task

5616-601: The 2008 South Ossetia war , still remain unclear. The governments of both Georgia and Russia, as well as Russia's Islamic insurgents of the Caucasus Emirate that abortively claimed that the unidentified armed group belonged to their main forces in Dagestan, accused each other of a provocation. The incident was also lambasted by Georgian then-opposition (winner of the October 2012 election ) coalition Georgian Dream , who accused Saakashvili 's United National Movement government of lying about it and promised that those responsible for

5760-510: The 2014 Wales summit joint training exercises between US-and Georgian special forces officially renewed and since then are held on a regular basis. Several NATO certifications were achieved in 2017 following multinational manoeuvers. Another close partner besides SOCOM is the Polish Special Forces Command , in particular JW GROM , JWK and JW AGAT which took part in the general assessment, mentoring and qualification leading to

5904-566: The Chechen diaspora in Georgia and advisor to the State Minister for Reintegration Issues, Meka Khangoshvili, made a statement stressing that the incident should not become a cause for tension between Georgians and the North Caucasian nations. Akhmad Umarov, Doku Umarov's elderly brother reportedly living in Tbilisi, stated his opinion that the Georgian side "is not responsible for the death of

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6048-622: The MOD Special Operations Main Division to a brigade-level command structure. Each formation is split into several sub-divisions which are allocated on different Georgian regions, cities and strategically important areas. Most instructor units are composed of veterans of past conflicts including the Soviet–Afghan War and the internal conflicts in Georgia. Officers and instructors served as in former Soviet Army or NATO special services. The very first of such formations

6192-663: The North Caucasus and within the separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia . Russia also accused Georgia of using its special forces to train and equip Chechen militants in the Pankisi Gorge who then would cross the Georgian-Russian border to commit terrorist acts in the Russian Federation. The situation in the Gorge is yet still disputed as Georgia itself states to have the Gorge cleared of militant activities contradicting

6336-551: The Quran . On August 31, the Georgian Interior Ministry reported on the continuation of special operation in Lopota Gorge. On September 5, additional vehicles and helicopters with military and police special forces were sent into the area to reinforce the continued search for the estimated six remaining militants. On September 8, Interior Ministry announced it had captured one wounded member of an armed group, identifying

6480-519: The Roki tunnel , Russia's main supply line for the conflict region. One special forces member is confirmed to have died in the war. Sergeant Kakhaber Tavgorashvili, who was assistant counter-terrorist instructor, was reportedly killed by an Ossetian sniper at Shanghai street in Tskhinvali on 8 August. Some 55 sustained mostly light injuries as a result of fighting and shelling. In 2012 one combat medic of

6624-616: The Russian headquarters in Gudauta , in order to gather intelligence for military action. However, the Alpha unit would not engage in direct combat operations in Abkhazia as it was mostly tasked with confronting Zviadist forces in Georgia proper. It also carried out a number of successful hostage rescue operations, but its inexperience and bold approach with such situations resulted in friction between them and

6768-525: The special operation against an illegal armed group in Lopota ( Georgian : შეიარაღებული დაჯგუფების დევნის ოპერაცია ლაფანყურში, romanized : sheiaraghebuli dajgupebis devnis op’eratsia lapanq’urshi ), was an armed incident where the Georgian special forces engaged an unknown paramilitary group of about 17 unknown individuals (7 of them would later be identified after the incident, see the Identities section ) which had allegedly taken several people hostage in

6912-693: The Border Police, but his wound got seriously infected and a part of his foot was later amputated in the Gori Military Hospital , where he spent the next 10 days. By September 3, seven of the 11 killed members of the armed group were announced as identified by the Georgian Interior Ministry. Among them were two Georgian citizens, Bahaudin Kavtarashvili (born in 1986) and Aslan Margoshvili (born in 1990). Another, Bahaudin Baghakashvili (born in 1986),

7056-733: The Chechen Mujahideen." A Chechen secular separatist website ChechenCenter said that "the only country that benefits" from this incident is Russia, saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin might to try to " divide and conquer " the Caucasus as the world watches the conflict in Syria . Captain Tsiklauri was posthumously awarded the Vakhtang Gorgasali Order , one of the highest decorations in Georgia, and buried on September 2 in Rusiani in

7200-562: The GSOF align with NATO operational doctrines and prepare for eventual membership in addition to successful mission deployments alongside NATO counterparts and forces in general. In 2019 the special operations forces were divided into two main operational groups for Eastern and Western Operational Command respectively: the acting formations and their sub units as two autonomous forces and the Special Operations Training Center which contains all training and educational arms of

7344-548: The Georgian government." The only response came for Vadim Shibayev, a spokesman for the FSB , which is in charge of Russian border guard, calling the reports of trespassing from Russia "provocative" and groundless. The NATO-Georgia Commission received information from the head of Georgian representation in NATO , Nugzar Mgaloblishvili. NATO and the European Union expressed concern about

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7488-495: The Georgian soil as "a provocation, which could be used by Russia as a pretext for a new military invasion of Georgia." Regarding the alleged civilian hostages, KC said that "on the contrary, it is because the recruits released five Georgians, whom they incidentally met en route, the leakage occurred followed by subsequent tragic events." On September 7, the Chechen language department of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Marsho, reported that it had been contacted by

7632-476: The Georgian units were not specialized in counter-terrorism, instead deployed into conflict zones shortly after their establishment. They acted as combat and vital intelligence assets for the military. Alpha was also trained in assassination of HVTs , which caused great controversies in connection with some murder cases and attempted assassinations of the Georgian head of state, that remain unsolved to this date. While Omega received training from Western instructors,

7776-450: The Interior Ministry to sign false testimonies in the case and Chatayev really carried no hand grenades. The hearing on the case, scheduled for November 15, was postponed till November 26 due to the absence of the border guard witnesses. Following Chatayev's arrest, his wife Aina Margoshvili left Georgia, presumably to go to Turkey, but later returned to Georgia and picketed the court hearings along with their son and dozens of Chechens under

7920-482: The North Caucasians. Georgian opposition politicians said that the incident needs to be thorough investigated. Irakli Alasania , one of the leaders of the opposition coalition Georgian Dream–Democratic Georgia , said, that "there is not yet enough information to make a comprehensive analysis of what has happened. One thing is clear: our borders are not protected well and an armed group of 20 persons can cross into

8064-474: The Pankisi Gorge, whom Georgia extradited to Russia by the government of Eduard Shevardnadze in 2002 had "disappeared" ; Tsulukiani said: "We know nothing about what happened to them, but this tradition must be brought to an end." She also promised that Chatayev would receive a fair and impartial trial in Georgia. On December 6, Tbilisi City Court agreed to free Chatayev on $ 3,000 bail. On January 18, 2013,

8208-573: The Ranger program is 18–22 weeks. The Rangers School is located near the village Manavi and is similar to the United States Ranger School . Throughout the course, future Rangers will be trained in leading combat operations in different weather and on different terrain such as forests / jungles, mountains and populated areas. In tense exercises the servicemen will also adopt advanced leadership capabilities and taught how to respond accordingly in

8352-791: The Republic of Chechnya, and Jabrail Khashiev (born in 1989) from the Republic of Ingushetia . The most prominent among the killed alleged militants was Doshuyev, veteran of the First Chechen War of 1994–1996 and a former bodyguard of Zakayev. Doshuyev had been detained and then given amnesty by Russian federal forces in early 2000. Notably, Moscow unsuccessfully tried to use him as a witness in their 2003 attempt to have Zakayev extradited from his self-exile in London . Zakayev commented: "I know that Dukvakha Dushuev, having political asylum in Great Britain,

8496-625: The Russian-trained special forces unit Alpha. However the Alpha leadership was perceived to have been disloyal to the government. In September 1995, several of the Alpha officers were accused of having been involved in the August 29, 1995 assassination attempt of Eduard Shevardnadze , Georgia's head of state. Its commander, Nikoloz Kvezereli , was arrested and charged with organization of the attack on Shevardnadze. The court, however, did not find him guilty and sentenced him to seven years' imprisonment for

8640-586: The Soviet model with something that would resemble highest international standards the so-called SOF Train and Equip Program was established with financial and material assistance from Turkey. Some officers had already completed Army Rangers and SF courses in the United States. Because Georgia lacked the infrastructure and means at that time, the first applicants and candidates for Georgian special forces were sent to Turkey to train there. Since 2001, Georgia has intensified

8784-522: The Special Forces School. Admission criteria for civilians are the successful completion of the BIT/BCT (Basic Combat Training) and Rangers preparation courses. The admission tests are the same as those of the initial preparation course except the passing score for theoretical tests must be at least 70%. The theoretical tests include: Tactical Training, Marksmanship, Engineering Training, Topography, Communication and General Skills. After passing these successfully,

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8928-575: The Ukrainian army intelligence and security services. Georgian instructors were also involved in training Ukraine's special forces. In October 2015 both countries discussed further cooperation that would allow Ukrainian special forces personnel to be trained in Georgia, particularly the Mountain Warfare School . Georgia's first involvement in peacekeeping operations was part of the KFOR mission . In 1999

9072-499: The alleged abuse of office. Later, several other Alpha officers were also arrested, and some of them were found dead in suspicious circumstances. Kvezereli was later pardoned and released. He was a member of the Parliament of Georgia from 1999 to 2008. In 1996 the Omega unit received fresh cadres with only a handful veteran members remaining. The members of the unit were later transferred to

9216-506: The applicants will be admitted to the training course, which' duration is 22 weeks. The general subjects of the course are: The airborne training is divided into Paratroopers Basic Training Course and Parachute Rigger Training Course. During the basic course, the students will be trained to carry out parachute jumps under the supervision of instructors with ram-air parachutes in light meteorological conditions, from average altitude, medium speed and with equipment and weapons. Criteria as of age

9360-430: The applicants will be interviewed in order to provide general information about their persona. During the subsequent preparation course which' duration is 18 weeks, following subjects will be engaged: The final stage begins after completion of all preparation courses. The applicants will receive all necessary theoretical and practical insight and training in order to be able to conduct operations under similar conditions as

9504-453: The armed group "are not citizens of Georgia." The Border Guard Service of Russia said that "no cases of crossing the Dagestani stretch of the Russian-Georgian border were recorded" and Russian officials called the reports of fighting in Georgia "a provocation." However, a RIA Novosti source in the Dagestani police said that the group was a part of a Dagestani insurgent group from Tsuntinsky District ("Tsuntinsky gang") and had indeed crossed

9648-544: The armed group, called it "absurd" and "slander". A prominent member of the Chechen community in Georgia, Umar Idigov, had previously alleged it was former Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia who was the mastermind behind a supposed idea to create a force of Chechen fighters and infiltrate them into Russia. Akhalaia, who had also held the posts of chief of the prison system and Interior Minister, had already put on trial on multiple charges of exceeding power and abuse of soldiers and prisoners. However, his brother Data (Dato), himself

9792-481: The authorities disseminate, there is an impression that the authorities have acted in a characteristically impatient manner and launched the special operation in a condition when the possibilities of a negotiated solution were not fully exhausted and in a condition when there was still a minimal chance of avoiding casualties." Both the Georgian Dream opposition and Georgia's then-ruling party United National Movement have postponed earlier planned mass actions related to

9936-414: The authorities" and said that "horrifying details are being reported about moral pressure exerted on relatives" of the killed gunmen by the government officials allegedly trying to hide the fact there were Georgian citizens among the members of the armed group. Allegedly, government officials conducted at least one burial at night and family members were forbidden to gather people for a funeral or even to see

10080-439: The backdrop of the continued Islamic insurgency in Russia's North Caucasus region, including the Republic of Dagestan , where the situation was reported to be worsening for Russia. In the months preceding the incident, the mounting violence in Dagestan had reached the point of practically daily reports of attacks and armed clashes, with scores of fatalities each month. On the very day of the skirmish in Georgia (August 29, 2012),

10224-665: The battalion's soldiers participated and prepared in extensive mission rehearsal exercises with U.S. troops in Hohenfels Germany. One reinforced Ranger company was deployed to Afghanistan as part of the Resolute Support Mission . It was tasked with providing security and protection to RSM headquarters. The Rangers were also part of the force that repelled the Taliban attack on the German consulate in 2016. Georgian special operations forces work closely with and are advised and monitored by US SOCOM , United Kingdom Special Forces , POL SOCC and United States Special Operations Command Europe respectively. The US 10th Special Forces Group took

10368-537: The body. The killed Chechens were buried also in Duisi village cemetery at night of October 30. Reportedly, family members of one of the killed Chechens arrived in Georgia in September but the government refused to hand over the body to them. In May 2013, the authorities re-examined corpses of Baghakashvili, Margoshvili and Zaurbekov; family members said they agreed for exhumations to be conducted despite Islam forbidding removing

10512-480: The border with Georgia. Vdagestan.com, a website of the Dagestan wing of the North Caucasus insurgency, took responsibility for crossing the border, but denied planning any operations on Georgian territory. They rejected the allegations of having taken civilians hostage, dismissing them as "lies and slander", and blamed the Georgian authorities for the bloodshed. The statement accused the Georgian side of arranging

10656-575: The branch. Structure as of 2020. The Special Operations Battalion with its supplementary Frogman Company are the primary air-land-sea deployable special operations forces of the Defense Forces of Georgia. They are subordinate to the primary HQ but as part of the respective autonomous military commands, maintain their own sub divisions such as staffs, control-communications & counterintelligence, medical, logistics and supply unit as well other supporting elements. Both units are expected to carry out

10800-423: The candidates go through academic evaluation, closing modules, final physical assessment and summative situational training. If trainees lap the 70 points threshold for every single module and 80 points in the final exams, they will have successfully applied for the Ranger course. In case of failure, which includes the missing out on any training session, they will be expelled regardless of cause. The total duration of

10944-480: The case was set on October 29. Chatayev, reported as having a refugee status in Austria, denied the charge and pleaded his innocence, claiming that had arrived in the Lopota gorge to hold negotiation at a request of senior official of the Interior Ministry of Georgia and that the sniper wounded him in a leg while he was waiting for a reply from the government. According to Information Center of Kakheti, witnesses (three border guards who detained Chatayev) were compelled by

11088-437: The causes of the incident. Zakayev said that "regardless of whether the Georgian side will cooperate with us or not, we have the appropriate resources to the reveal the truth. Afterwards, the Chechen legitimate government will express its position." According to RFE/RL, "It is, of course, possible that the Georgian authorities initially assumed that the incursion was masterminded by Moscow, and realized only after verbal contact

11232-440: The claims of Russian authorities. Georgian special operations forces took part in several engagements of the 2008 war. They supported a mobile task force consisting of Interior Ministry special forces that formed the spearhead for the assault on Tskhinvali center. Their most notable involvement was in the attack on general Khrulyov 's command battalion on 9 August. Early Russian reports gave full credit to Georgian commandos for

11376-508: The corpses of alleged terrorists. Deputy Interior Minister Shota Khizanishvili also affirmed that the militants' bodies will be buried in accordance with their faith . On September 3–4, three of the killed militants (Baghakashvili, Kavtarashvili and Margoshvili) were buried by residents of Duisi in the Pankisi Gorge. On September 3, the Georgian Dream opposition issued a statement condemning "the criminally irresponsible information policy of

11520-517: The country for Georgia, where the Russian side might hoped he would organize a large-scale international provocation and create a casus belli for occupation of all of Georgia by Russia. The main instigators from the Vainakh side were also to include Gabriel (Jabrail) Khashiev, an ethnic Ingush wanted for murdering Chechens in Turkey, as well as Chatayev, described as Dokka Umarov's representative in Turkey and

11664-453: The country until a new government took over in 2012. Despite that brief setback a foundation had been laid and Georgia's elite units became much less dependent on foreign assistance. Instead, focus was shifted towards cooperation, bilateral exercises and inter-operability with their NATO and European, particularly Eastern European counterparts. Georgian special forces have taken part in numerous international missions and joint exercises. Following

11808-410: The country without being detected by the border guard. A comprehensive investigation needs to be carried out in order to look into who was in charge of negotiations with (the armed group); what was the subject of negotiations and why was this operation planned in such a way that led to death of so many people." The Georgian Dream stated: "Even based on existing scarce and contradictory information, which

11952-761: The course, theoretical evaluations must amount 70% of correct answers. After completion of all necessary courses until Sniper Course in a time period of 24 to 27 months or longer depending on if started as civilian or servicemen, the candidate may be granted title of Special Operations Forces Soldier. Service in the special unit grants access to the special operations groups and further education for special naval warfare or intelligence and logistics. Unit members will be taught in foreign languages and sent abroad to train together with partner nations. Lopota incident Aslan Margoshvili   † Bahaud Aldamov   † The Lopota incident , known in Georgia as

12096-516: The course. The course's duration is 39 weeks in which following subjects will be engaged: Additional courses are: Less than 10%, often only 5% of the applicants will pass and are annually accepted to become members of Georgia's special forces units. The SF sniper school trains special forces personnel as well as regular army members from age 18 to 40 in modern sniper warfare in accordance with higher international standards. The special forces sniper course requires special forces personnel to have

12240-426: The court acquitted Chatayev after the prosecutor has withdrawn all charges against him. Chatayev commented: "I knew that if the witnesses tell the truth, I would be acquitted." In November 2012, the new government has reopened the investigation into the incident, conducted by the Interior Ministry is cooperation on with the prosecutor's office. In April 2013, Ivanishvili, who has become a new Prime Minister, said that

12384-468: The current epicenter of Islamist insurgency in the North Caucasus, where dozens of thousands of army and ministry of interior troops have concentrated recently, the pressure will increase on the insurgents to occasionally cross the Russian-Georgian, as well as the Russian-Azerbaijani borders, to secure a temporary safe haven. [...] Georgia and Azerbaijan would be prompted to either turn a blind eye on

12528-417: The dead from their graves, because they too want to find the truth. The bodies were exhumed in order to determine precisely how they died, as the results of the original postmortems have disappeared. On October 24, Chatayev was accused of the illegal purchase, possession and carrying of an explosive device, facing between three and five years in prison if convicted. The date of a preliminary court hearing in

12672-499: The deaths would be punished. The incident saw the worst loss of life in Georgia since the brief territorial war with Russia , in which hundreds of people were killed during five days in 2008. Tensions between the two countries have remained strong since the ceasefire, with the Russian military continuing to occupy Georgia's breakaway territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and the two countries having not resumed diplomatic relations. The deadly clash in Georgia took place against

12816-404: The defenders Gagra was eventually overrun. Russian involvement became very apparent in that period when an unidentified force consisting of hundreds of soldiers with unmarked uniforms were landed at the coast south of the town and started to push against the Georgian defences. Part of the same force also headed towards Gagra. In the ensuing battle which was costly for both sides, Gocha Karkarashvili,

12960-517: The fate of terrorists and have not even utter a word about our [three special forces personnel] who died, knew very well what this provocation was about; what this mess was all about." The election was won by the Georgian Dream opposition. Georgian officials said Swiss diplomats were used to contact Russia about the border situation. However, Moscow did not respond to Georgia's proposal to cooperate. According to British expert Thomas de Waal , Russia side did not answer because it "does not want to thank

13104-479: The framework of said program over $ 6 million were committed by the Georgian government itself to properly arm and supply the country's special forces battalion so that training in accordance to US and NATO standards was ensured. The US 10th Special Forces Group of SOCOM was tasked with assisting in setting up the proper infrastructure and training ground for Georgia's special operations forces, identified by NATO as GSOF . Georgian commandos were part of KFOR , played

13248-446: The full spectrum of special operations, including direct action, special reconnaissance and support tasks in their assigned areas of operation. The Naval Special Operations Squadron provides the naval warfare components of the force and is responsible for the training and development in that area. There is always at least one team from each company in full combat readiness, while the rest conduct training, exercises and education classes. In

13392-619: The group had entered Georgia from Dagestan. Deputy Interior Minister Nodar Kharshiladze stressed: "We can't definitely say who these paramilitary people are and what their purpose is, but it is clear they were conducting some kind of terroristic activities there." Kharshiladze said that the militants had freed their hostages but then opened fire on security forces after being asked to surrender. The deaths of 14 people were announced shortly before 4 p.m. The ministry also said that at least six gunmen were continuing their resistance to Georgian security forces, but no further casualties were reported. On

13536-623: The group's special armaments. The Omega force was subordinated to the Georgian Ministry of State Security and was responsible for several successful special operations. After the major reshuffle in Georgia's military leadership following the Georgian civil war and the government’s temporary reorientation to Russia , the Omega group fell in disfavor, especially under the Security Minister Igor Giorgadze , who gave preference to

13680-491: The gunmen demanded to escort them to the border with Russia, promising to release them after reaching Dagestan and claiming they intended "to just quietly cross the border". A man identified as Levan Khutsurauili, described as one of the freed civilians, later said that he and his friends had been seized on August 26 by an armed group of about 15 bearded men while returning from a picnic near the border and told they would be shot if they tried to escape. According to some reports,

13824-444: The gunmen spoke Georgian . Late on August 28, Georgian Interior Ministry released a brief statement saying that an armed group was detected and first reports emerged about movement of special forces in ground and air vehicles into the area. On the morning of August 29, the ministry announced that its troops blocked the gorge and were pursuing the armed group, and at 1 p.m. declared the operation as " anti-terrorist ", claiming that

13968-483: The gunmen) were killed, and the rest of them were then escorted to Turkey. The parliament declined Nanuashvili's proposal on the grounds that an investigation by prosecutor's office is under way. Merabishvili, who was the Interior Minister in early 2012, dismissed the story as "idiotic" and in line with Russia's anti-Georgian propaganda. Former Deputy Interior Minister Gia Lortkipanidze, alleged to be in charge of

14112-540: The incident has been slow to emerge, with interpretations offered by Saakashvili and Bokeria having been at odds. Initially, Georgian government-connected television stations Imedi TV and Rustavi 2 described the armed group as " saboteurs " and the initial Interior Ministry reports indicated involvement of infiltrators from Russia's Republic of North Ossetia–Alania . Later, the group was described as "terrorists" and "armed subversives ". Parliamentary Chairman Davit Bakradze declined to comment but said that members of

14256-510: The investigation may reveal "shocking" results and substantiate allegations of Nanuashvili. Ivanishvili's statement was strongly criticized as "irresponsible" and "dangerous" by Saakashvili, who declared "with full responsibility" that "Georgia never participated in training any terrorists." Alasania, who has become a new Defense Minister, and Parliament Chairman David Usupashvili , also a member of Georgian Dream, have distanced themselves from Ivanishvili's remarks. The Zakayev government's report

14400-473: The leader of the White Eagles, and 11 of his men were killed when defending Gagra to their last moment. All sides kept commencing raids and skirmishes against each other after the war and specifically throughout the late 1990s. In 2002 Georgia carried out a special operation in the infamous Pankisi Gorge known for its supposed hosting of militant groups and criminals elements. The aim was to surround and force

14544-572: The likelihood of their identity has remained classified by Georgian officials. During the operation, which began on August 28, 2012, at least 14 people were killed and at least six wounded in a firefight on August 29. Among the victims were 11 members of the unknown armed group (including at least two Georgian citizens as well as at least five Russian citizens, all of the latter born in the former Chechen–Ingush ASSR ). Three Georgian special service personnel were killed and five were injured. On September 8, an injured suspected militant, Akhmed Chatayev ,

14688-445: The members of Alpha were trained and headed primarily by decorated Georgian veterans of the Soviet–Afghan War and former KGB officers, as well as Russian officers from Spetsnaz GRU . Some of whom were recruited and initially part of Alpha to participate in the 1990s conflicts, on the Georgian side. Alpha had various military hardware at its disposal, including armored personnel carriers and artillery, but operated mostly covertly. It

14832-770: The methods of conducting theoretical parachute and land preparations, organizing parachute jumps and making records, as well as paratroopers instructor duties. The course duration is 21 days and includes 3 days of practical jumps. The program includes seven jumps, the first, the second, the third and the fourth with equipment and weapons. The main purpose of the Special Operations School is for applicants to acquire and master necessary skillsets and insight to conduct special missions and operations under extremely tense physical and psychological pressure in provided close to real scenarios so that realistic and prompt evaluations of situations and relevant and important decision making

14976-462: The near complete destruction of the trapped unit. However, later Russian claims suggest it was more likely part of a combined assault from different military elements including armor. In either case, the Georgian special forces engaged in fighting were fewer in numbers but able to disrupt and stall much larger enemy forces until the general withdrawal. There are also claims that Russian special forces prevented Georgian saboteurs from damaging or destroying

15120-641: The new government. On August 30, President Saakashvili visited Lapankuri, the village closest to the site of the events. Saakashvili called the incident an attempt to "stage a provocation", adding that incidents of this kind "directly or indirectly usually serve as a pretext for our country's invader," meaning Russia. Referring to North Caucasus peoples as "brothers," Saakashvili said: "We salute tourists but won't let raids of armed persons against peaceful population on Georgian territory." He added that "disorder and instability behind these mountains will stay there. We will do everything for this." Saakashvili also made

15264-497: The next day, August 30, Georgian Prime Minister Vano Merabishvili , who has established an anti-crisis headquarters and held a meeting with all power ministers, announced the operations to be "nearly completed," saying it "ensured the security of our citizens and our borders," and that special forces were still searching for possible wounded stragglers from the armed group of around 20. Speaking on national television late on August 29, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said that

15408-491: The notorious Chechen warlord Dokka Umarov 's personal representative in Europe (according to other sources, Chatayev was rather a former special envoy of the late Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov ), who had briefly disappeared after the special operation in Lopota Gorge. Chatayev insisted that he had been brought by two Georgian Interior Ministry's counter-terrorist department officials, Sandro Amiridze and Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, as

15552-510: The outbreak of the Russo-Georgian war. Towards the end of the ISAF mission from March to October 2014 the former Mountain-Reconnaissance Battalion was deployed to Afghanistan, mainly stationed at the Kandahar Air Base amidst the withdrawal process. The unit's mission was to provide security and carry out patrols and combat operations as well as instruct Afghan artillery units. Prior to deployment

15696-400: The phone. They gave me several minutes to consider our final answer. I was sitting on a hill for 10–15 minutes when suddenly a sniper shot me in the left leg. I did not have gun with me. I rolled down the hill; I wanted to hide. (...) Afterwards, I heard gunshots which lasted for about 2 hours. I was hiding for 10 days; I could not walk; the wound was getting worse and worse; finally I approached

15840-462: The police, and sometimes near disasters. Alpha would be officially disbanded in 1995 following several controversial events and trials. The "White Eagles", one of the few professional units of the Georgian military at the time, National Guard specifically, were part of the garrison in the coastal town Gagra which was struck by a massed separatist assault during the War in Abkhazia . Despite initial success for

15984-469: The presence of armed militants on their soil and risk a conflict with Moscow, which might use this as a pretext for exerting pressure on the South Caucasian countries with the ultimate risk of military interference, or risk a dangerous conflict with ethnic minorities of Chechen and Dagestani descent populating their borderline areas." On August 28, Georgian television reported that five young men from

16128-452: The remote Caucasus gorge of Lopota near the border between Georgia and the Russia's Republic of Dagestan . At first, the gunmen were widely believed to be Russian Islamist insurgents from Dagestan, however several other theories suggest that they may be local Islamist militants from the Pankisi Gorge . To this day, there is no definitive answer to the paramilitary group's identity, and

16272-413: The situation and declared the need to "find a solution to the problem on the basis of internationally accepted norms." The United States Embassy to Georgia issued a statement "remembering three brave Georgians" and extending their "deepest sympathies" also "to the many other Georgian servicemen who continue to risk their lives to ensure a more secure Georgia and a more peaceful world." Representative of

16416-451: The slogan "Freedom to Akhmed Chatayev". On November 13, Georgia refused to extradite Chatayev to Russia after Khangoshvili appealed to international human rights organizations to protect his rights and declaring him " arbitrarily imprisoned ". Georgia's new justice minister Tea Tsulukiani said that "Georgia has refused to extradite Chatayev to Russia, and that is a matter of principle for us," because five Chechens, including residents of

16560-520: The so-called Rigger course, the paratroopers will learn how to use, pack, maintain and repair the TTS, T-10B and T-10R parachutes. The course can be attended by personnel who have already passed the basic training course and carried out at least five jumps. The course program also includes two forced jumps. Servicemen who passed both courses and can prove an overall record of 35 jumps, can apply for Land Instructor-Parachutist Training Course in which they will learn

16704-493: The special forces, corporal Vladimer Khvedelidze, was killed during a controversial engagement with 20 armed militants crossing the Georgian-Dagestani border. According to the official version, security forces were reinforced by military after a group of armed men took locals hostage and demanded ransom. The local residents were released when a trapped border guard officer offered himself as a hostage instead insisting he had

16848-515: The spot. In May 2015 Georgian special forces were claimed by Ukrainian officials and also have been accused by Russia and the Donetsk People's Republic to have apprehended Russian nationals fighting with the separatists because they were suspected to be members of Russian special services and military intelligence. Georgian nationals, mostly retired servicemen, including former special forces members and police have been confirmed to be fighting with

16992-603: The surprise raid and recapture of Khobi from rebels, spreading misinformation among opposition forces that resulted in the unit securing strategically vital locations for the government, such as the port city Poti , disarming insurrectionist groups and recovering military equipment captured by the enemy. Many successes were achieved partially due to recruiting or employing the help of ethnic minorities. Alpha would send small diverse teams of four in civilian or other suitable disguise, and often with its Russian members, to successfully infiltrate hostile territory and on some occasions also

17136-644: The surrender of armed Chechen saboteurs formations that crossed the border. Clashes and arrests occurred all over the region when Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded that the Georgian government handle the situation as it presented a direct threat. It has also been suggested that the US urged Georgia to take action in order to prevent further deterioration of an already tense political environment. The Georgian special forces would continuously transfer captured insurgents to Russian special services. Georgian special forces have been accused multiple times to have carried out numerous assassinations and acts of sabotage in

17280-472: The suspected militant as "a citizen of the Russian Federation from North Caucasus," Akhmet Chataev (Akhmed Chatayev), adding he was rendered the medical assistance and his life is not in a danger. According to the government announcement, Chatayev surrendered to a patrol of border guard to whom he handed over two live F-1 grenades . The operation officially ended on October 30 with the burial of four alleged militants. More detailed official information about

17424-471: The theoretical and physical exams, at least 60 out of 100 points need to be accumulated in the respective disciplines. The soldiers must know at the very least all basic principles and methods of patrolling, ambushing, raiding and associated contingencies. They are also required to be familiar with basic specifications and capabilities of certain Western and Soviet firearms, including anti-tank weapons. Subsequently,

17568-453: The training center is to ensure the development of programs for the development of military servicemen for special subunits, organize and conduct basic courses of special military training in accordance to specialization and provide training and further retraining of the personnel and / or collectively qualified military personnel within the competence. The school certifies successful graduates and subdivisions. Apart from very few exceptions, it

17712-490: The training of its elite forces in cooperation with American, French, British, Israeli and other countries' special services. In 2002 as part of the Georgia Train and Equip program over 2000 soldiers including 1000 paramilitary troops were trained by US instructors for special-and counter-terrorism operations. About $ 65 million were invested by the United States for the training of 400 army commandos and state security forces. In

17856-429: The upcoming parliamentary election due to the death of Georgian citizens. At a rally on September 9, Bidzina Ivanishvili , the leader of the Georgian Dream, accused the government of "insolently lying" about the operation and said that "tragedy" of Lopota would be investigated and those responsible punished, adding, "Georgian troops died there; Georgian citizens, Kists died there and North Caucasians died there too. This

18000-530: The village of Lapankuri in Telavi District , 20 kilometres from the Dagestani section of the border with Russia, had gone missing for several days. Some news reports cited local residents as saying that a few days earlier they had spotted several unknown men in military uniforms in the vicinity of the village. The missing men were soon reported found and taken by police for questioning. A former hostage said that

18144-459: The violent behaviour of autonomous paramilitary groups such as Mkhedrioni who committed ethnically motivated crimes, and forbade its members to partake in such actions under the threat of capital punishment. Their good standing with the local populace and ethnic minorities kept the unit supplied and informed. Alpha gained reputation mostly for accomplishing tasks with great deception and swiftness, with as little bloodshed as possible. Examples include

18288-443: The way near Dagestan and so attempted to take the locals as guides. According to still another theory presented by Georgia's Russian language television channel PIK TV, the armed group might have come to Georgia to commemorate the son of the famous Chechen field commander Ruslan Gelayev (Gelayev was killed in a shootout with Russian border guards in 2004 in Dagestan's Tsuntinsky District while trying to enter Georgia), Rustan. Rustam

18432-421: The website Vestnik Kavkaza, "such a radical decision and even tragic victims seem to be less evil than another explosion in Georgian-Russian relations in the event of the violation of Dagestani section of the border by an armed group from Georgia." Central Asia-Caucasus Institute analysis by Emil Souleimanov concluded: "As the counterinsurgent activities by federal and local armed forces gain momentum in Dagestan,

18576-518: The week of August 27 – September 2, a total of at least 50 people fell victim to armed conflict in the North Caucasus, not including the events in Georgia. The Russian government has repeatedly accused Georgia of offering a safe haven to the insurgents and the Western-backed Georgian government has consistently rejected Russian allegations. According to the BBC correspondent Damien McGuinness, "it

18720-468: Was "odd" that the special forces apparently did not try to take the gunmen alive for interrogation, as they could have shot to incapacitate rather than to kill. Russian military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer said he has an "impression that this clash was accidental from both sides. I do not have any reasons yet to connect what happened with the conspiracy theories. [...] What happened in Lapankuri looks more like

18864-473: Was born in Grozny but had relatives in Georgia's Pankisi Gorge. According to unofficial reports, the total of six of those killed were natives of Pankisi. Five others, including Baghakashvili, were Russian citizens from the North Caucasus, specifically the former Chechen–Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic : Musa Aduyev (born in 1981), Dukvakha Doshuyev (born in 1968) and Salam Zaurbekov (born in 1991) from

19008-516: Was crucial for Georgia to act decisively, as there were fears in Tbilisi that Moscow would use any sign that terrorists from the North Caucasus are operating in the region as a pretext for moving [deeper] in to Georgia." Soso Tsintsadze, head of the Diplomatic Academy of Georgia, said a failure to "respond resolutely" would have exposed Georgia to "even more unpleasant developments". According to

19152-526: Was established with the intruders that it was not. Alternatively, they may have inferred at an early stage that the men were insurgents from Daghestan but killed them all the same, in order to perpetuate the uncertainty over their true identity and why they crossed the border and thus, by extension, the suspicion that Russia may have been behind the incident." Caucasus expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies , Mamuka Areshidze, said it

19296-434: Was founded during the War in Abkhazia in 1992. At the time there was no clear division between paramilitary and military units while cadres that received training from former Soviet and Russian instructors generally enjoyed more popularity among the Georgian leadership. A lot of effort was put into the establishment of a sustainable system of development of special military units, which was achieved in 1999. In order to replace

19440-563: Was killed during the Battle of Aleppo in Syria in August 2012 and reportedly buried in Georgia's Pankisi Gorge , located several dozen kilometers from Lopota. Pankisi is an area populated by Kists , the ethnic Chechens of Georgia. I quickly came to Lopota. Amiridze said that the men had to put down their guns and surrender. I went to the gorge to negotiate with the Chechens and Kists. There were 17 people there. I personally knew most of them. (...) I told their message to Amiridze and Khangoshvili on

19584-424: Was not in Russia and lived in the Pankisi Gorge, Georgia for the last six months. It is unclear how he joined this group." On April 1, 2013, Public Defender of Georgia Ucha Nanuashvili called on the Parliament of Georgia to set up an investigative commission to look into armed clash and events leading up to that incident, saying that his own probe revealed circumstances contradicting official version of events that

19728-486: Was offered by the previous government. In an 800-page report, Nanuashvili alleged that the Interior Ministry's counter-terrorist department itself had recruited 120 local Kists, Chechens (including veterans living abroad) and other North Caucasian refugees. The recruits would be then armed and trained by Georgian personnel and Chechen veterans at the Vaziani Military Base and at Shavnabada in early 2012. In August,

19872-543: Was posthumously awarded the Vakhtang Gorgasali Order and buried in Samtredia on the same day; Khvedelidze's family was given a new house from the state in compensation. Saakashvili said that killed gunmen should be buried "with observance of their Muslim traditions," adding, "we are not Russian troops; we should pay relevant respect to killed" in a reference to the Russian government's official policy of destroying

20016-647: Was presented by Foreign Minister Usman Ferzauli on August 1, 2013. Its findings repeat many of the allegations contained in Nanuashvili's report. According to the report by the State Commission of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, the main organizer of the armed group was Akhmed Umarov, working closely with the special services of the Interior Ministry of Georgia. He had been released from the FSB prison and allowed to leave

20160-400: Was rejected. The group then decided to swap the last captive border guard for the official, telling him that he is now their hostage. Two of the gunmen then accompanied the official to a location where he could talk with his superiors to update them about the new developments, but instead they were led to an ambush site, where one of them was shot dead by a government sniper. The shooting sparked

20304-478: Was released later on August 30. According to it, the crisis had begun on August 28, when the armed group captured a patrol of the Border Police of Georgia who had been searching for the five missing local residents. The gunmen agreed to an offer by a senior border guard officer to keep just him as a hostage and to let go the civilians and the other border guards. Later, an official from the Georgian Interior Ministry arrived to negotiate and demanded their surrender, which

20448-486: Was soon removed from both websites. KC then presented a different version, according to which "a detachment of recruits, secretly formed by the command of the Mujahideen on the border between Dagestan and Georgia, [tried to move] to a destination site on the territory of Dagestan to take part in the fighting against Russian occupation forces" but the Georgian authorities demanded that they surrender, regarding their presence on

20592-405: Was the only unit in the country at the time that could equip its soldiers with state of the art Western and Soviet communication devices. Which enabled them the accurate execution of operations, and a constant line of communication with the government in Tbilisi. Means that were otherwise a rarity to non-existent, in the mostly poorly organized and equipped Georgian military. The unit strictly opposed

20736-476: Was to respond to insurgent attacks on Coalition forces and other peacekeeping elements as well as conduct patrols, provide base security, VIP and convoy protection in conjunction with U.S. counterparts. Equipment and ammunition was provided by the U.S. They were also assisting in intercepting weapon smuggling over the Iranian border and provide security to officials. The contingent would abandon its mission in 2008 due to

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