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Georgian troops withdraw from South Ossetia

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-08-09 01:42

MOSCOW -- Georgian troops have begun retreating from the capital of its breakaway region of South Ossetia, information and press committee of the self-proclaimed republic said, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.

"Using grenade launchers (South) Ossetian local defense forces are destroying Georgian tanks. According to eyewitnesses they (the tanks) are on fire throughout the city," the committee said in a statement.

The statement also said that most of the city had been devastated by the Georgian military attack, which had left the hospital destroyed and the republic's university on fire.