Abkhazia 'to shut Georgia border'

By Matthew Collin
BBC News, Tbilisi

Several people were injured when Sukhumi came under attack

Separatist authorities in the breakaway region of Abkhazia say they will close their border with the rest of Georgia, after a series of explosions.

A separatist official told the BBC that Georgia was responsible for what he described as "terrorist attacks" in the Abkhaz capital Sukhumi.

The Georgian authorities have denied any role in the blasts, in which several people have been injured.

Abkhazia has been trying to break from Georgia since a civil war in the 1990s.

Authorities say six people were injured by two bombs that went off within minutes of each other at the central market in Sukhumi.

Those blasts came a day after two other explosions in Abkhazia's Black Sea holiday resort of Gagra.

An official told the BBC he believed the explosions were intended to deter tourists from coming to Abkhazia.

He said the de facto border with Georgia would be closed from Tuesday to ensure security.

Tensions rising

The separatists receive economic and political support from neighbouring Russia, and Russian peacekeeping troops are stationed there.

Tensions have risen in recent months after Moscow strengthened its links with the separatists, causing fury in Georgia.

The Georgian government has accused Moscow of trying to take over part of its territory by stealth, and has described the Russian peacekeepers as an occupying force.

Negotiations to resolve the Abkhaz conflict broke down two years ago.

Georgia has offered the region significant autonomy. But the separatists say they want nothing less than independence.