military conflicts

DUSHANBE, Tadzhikistan — A provisional ruling council asserted authority Friday in the strife-wracked Central Asian republic of Tadzhikistan and Russian troops began playing an active role to prevent more bloodshed. The Russian military commander in the Tadzhik capital Dushanbe made an extraordinary appearance on local television to announce the creation of a government council and […]

GAGRA, Georgia — While most of the rest of Georgia was to vote Sunday in parliamentary elections, refugees returning to the north of the breakaway Abkhazia region were concerned about bread and bullets rather than ballots. The Abkhazian refugees straggled back to Gagra and other towns in the north of the former autonomous republic, which

GUDAUTA, Georgia — Besieged towns in Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazian region were clearing roads of explosives and attempting to open supply lines Friday during a lull in the hostilities. ‘Destruction is colossal,’ said Vladislav Ardzinba, leader of secessionist Abkhazia. ‘The damage is in the tens of billions of rubles. Residences have been destroyed, burned, looted. Government