MOSCOW, July 2 (RIA Novosti) - A commander of the Russian-led peacekeeping contingent deployed in the conflict zone between Georgia and breakaway Abkhazia accused Georgian security forces of setting off a new explosion in the region on Wednesday morning.
The blast went off near a Russian peacekeeping checkpoint on the border between Georgia and Abkhazia. Georgian television said no casualties have been reported.
"A car with unidentified people inside passed through the checkpoint in Georgia," Alexander Diordiyev said. "Georgian troops did not even try to stop the car."
"At about 300 meters (330 yards) from the [Russian] checkpoint, the car made a turn, something was thrown out of it, and an explosion went off," Diordiyev said, confirming that no one was killed or injured.
The incident follows two sets of explosions in the breakaway province on Sunday and Monday, when six people were injured. Abkhaz authorities blamed both incidents on Georgian security forces. Tbilisi dismissed the accusations as absurd.
Diordiyev said Georgian security services' acts were aimed at provoking peacekeepers and destabilizing the situation in the area.
He said the peacekeeping command had informed the United Nations mission of the incident and launched investigation.
Abkhazia closed its de-facto border with Georgia on Tuesday following the explosions in its capital, Sukhumi, and Black Sea resort of Gagra. Tbilisi claims that the region is now under Russia's control.
Abkhazia has been the focus of ongoing tensions between Russia and Georgia, which seeks to regain the province. Russia provides financial aid to the self-proclaimed republic and runs peacekeepers in a bid it says to prevent fresh bloodshed.
Ex-Soviet Georgia, which wants to join NATO, has accused Russia of attempting to annex Abkhazia.
