One killed, 3 injured during incident in Georgia’s Muslim-populated Pankisi gorge
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One individual has been killed and three others injured during an armed incident in the village of Sakobiani, Georgia’s Muslim-populated Pankisi Gorge earlier today.
Locals say that the incident took place between the Mutoshvili and Kavtarashvili families.
The deceased is Visuri Mutoshvili, netgazeti reports.
The injured men are now at Telavi hospital, in eastern Georgia.
Several locals told the media that an incident that took place several months ago led to the confrontation earlier today, while others cite the controversies related to building a hydropower plant in Pankisi as the reason of the conflict.
They say that one family supported the construction of the hydro power plant, while another opposed it.
Launching the construction of Khadori 3 hydro power plant in the village of Birkiani, Pankisi gorge sparked rallies and a confrontation between locals and police back in April 2019.
The construction of a new, 27 megawatt hydro power plant (HPP), Samkuristskali 2 is sheduled to begin in Georgia’s Muslim-populated Pankisi Gorge in November, construction company Peri has announced.
Head of the National Security Council and Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia has stated that the recent developments in Georgia’s Muslim-populated Pankisi Gorge and the temporarily closure of David Gareji monastery by Azerbaijani border guards several days ago were discussed during the first meeting of the eight-member National Security Council.
55 people, including 38 police officers and 17 civilians, were injured during a clash in the country’s Muslim-populated Pankisi Gorge earlier today, where locals opposed the construction of a small hydropower plant.
The President Adviser in ethnical minority issues has visited the Pankisi Gorge, a valley mainly inhabited by the Kist sub-ethnos in northeastern Georgia that bordered the Chechnyan republic of the Russian Federation today.