Shelling intensifies, Georgian Min, Russian convoy moving to border

(8 Aug 2008) SHOTLIST AP Television News Near Tskhinvali, South Ossetia nightshots 1. Various tracer fire coming from Georgian side of the border 2. Mid Georgian troops in bus 3. Wide of troops in bus Tbilisi, Georgia 4. Set up Timur Yakobashvili, Minister for Reintegration, Georgia 5. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Timur Yakobashvili, Minister for Reintegration, Georgia: "I know that there's fighting, it's difficult to say from here if it's street fighting or other fighting. There's no information yet but I hope that there'll be some by daylight, because while it's still dark it's difficult to figure out exactly what happened, there's all types or rumour and gossip and I don't want to add to them. The main thing now is that we find a way of stopping the fighting and getting back to the negotiating table. We are ready for this. The criminal activity must cease." Irinform Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia, Russia 6. Various night and early morning shots Russian military convoy moving towards border North Ossetia border AP Television News Ergneti, 6 kms from Tskhinvali, Georgia village in South Ossetia 7. Wide Russian peacekeeping forces with gunfire in background 8. Mid Russian forces 9. Russian peacekeeper in watchtower 10. Wide Russian flag flies over barbed wire fence 11. Mid ambulance drives down street 12. SOUNDBITE (Georgian) Zaur, resident of Ergbeti: " We had this kind of disorder and fighting before but there's never been such massive shooting. The whole village is scared but Georgians have no fear, they stand tall, it's just children at home." 13. Wide smoke rising on horizon 14. Wide convoy drives through village 15. Wide car drives past Georgian rocket launchers STORYLINE: Georgian government troops have launched a major offensive to regain control over the breakaway province of South Ossetia with fighting raging on the outskirts of the separatist capital, Tskhinvali on Friday. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili accused Russia of bombing Georgian territory. A Russian official denied the bombing. The heavy fighting came just hours after Georgia's president declared a unilateral cease-fire, officials on both sides said. Separatist officials said that 15 civilians had been killed in the fighting overnight. Georgian units had almost surrounded Tskhinvali, the rebel capital, and had taken five villages in the separatist-held region, according to Georgian State Minister for Reintegration Temur Yakobashvili. If Georgian claims of seizing ground are true, the assault would mark a major expansion of the government's foothold in the breakaway region. Yakobashvili said Georgian officials were doing everything they could to avoid casualties and the destruction of property. Another Georgian official claimed 7 people had been wounded in Russian bombing of Georgia. An AP reporter saw tanks and other heavy weapons concentrating on the Russian side of the border with South Ossetia. A convoy of Russian troops and military hardware travelled from Vladikavkaz in North Ossetia to the border with South Ossetia early this morning. The fighting could still be be heard in the village of Ergbeti, some 6 kilometres away from Tskhinvali. Gunfighting could be heard in the background as Russian peacekeeping troops watched from their base. Local villagers said that the fighting has never been so fierce. Georgian rocket launchers could be seen in a field on the outskirts of Ergbeti. Some villagers were fleeing into Russia. In a statement on Friday, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer called on both sides to end armed clashes and start direct talks. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...