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Georgia rejects claims it planned abduction of S. Ossetia leader

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TBILISI/MOSCOW, June 9 (RIA Novosti) - Allegations made by Georgia's breakaway republic of South Ossetia that Georgia plotted the abduction or assassination of the South Ossetian president are absurd, a Georgian Interior Ministry official said Saturday.

Earlier Saturday, the South Ossetian Committee of National Security (KGB) claimed that the Georgian Interior Ministry received a go-ahead from the authorities to conduct a special operation to kidnap or assassinate South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity.

"It is absurd. I have nothing more to add," Shota Khizanishvili, the interior minister's chief of staff, said.

The statement from the South Ossetian KGB, published on the republic's information and press committee Web site, said in particular: "Currently, a specially trained group is on the territory of the northern enclave, in the residential area of Kurta. The Georgian special task forces have completed reconnaissance of the area for the special operation and are ready to implement the task set by the administration of [Georgian President] Mikheil Saakashvili."

South Ossetia broke away from Georgia following a bloody conflict in the early 1990s. Georgia's Western-oriented leaders, who came to power in 2003, have been trying to return the republic under their control.

Russia has supported South Ossetia in its diplomatic standoff with Georgia, and Tbilisi has accused Moscow of fuelling separatist sentiments in the unrecognized republic.

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