MOSCOW/TBILISI, September 8 (RIA Novosti) - Four people have been killed in the conflict zone between Georgia and its breakaway region of South Ossetia, the commander of the Joint Peacekeeping Force said Friday.

"Today, the conflicting sides engaged in an exchange of fire near the Ossetian village of Tbet," Marat Kulakhmetov said. "One Georgian serviceman has been killed and three wounded, and three South Ossetian policemen have been killed."

Kulakhmetov is currently at the scene of the incident.

But the republic's Defense Ministry said a Georgian military unit attacked a South Ossetian checkpoint.

However, Georgian television company Imedi said the incident occurred when a Georgian police patrol came under fire from the South Ossetian side.

A Russian Foreign Ministry official said the shootout would be discussed at the next meeting of the Joint Control Commission.

"I believe that the latest incidents in South Ossetia - the downing of a Georgian helicopter Sunday and today's shootout in the conflict zone - mean that an early meeting of the Joint Control Commission has to be called," said Yury Popov, a special envoy to the area.

He said the next JCC meeting would be held on September 14-15 in Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, adding that the incidents would also be discussed at his bilateral consultations with Merab Antadze, Georgia's state minister for conflict resolution.