Three men were arrested for the negligent handling of a mortar that exploded on January 11, killing three soldiers and wounding 13 other service personnel at a military training center near Tbilisi, the Georgian Ministry of Defense has announced.
“The investigation indicates that the incident was caused by violation of safety norms,” said the ministry in a statement released late on January 11. Military trainer, Col. Tristan Tkesheladze, Col. Mamuka Fareshishvili and Lieutenant Major Malkhaz Kobalia were taken into custody. The three men were responsible for safety measures at Krtsanisi National Training Center, where US servicemen train Georgians for North Atlantic Treaty Organization operations in Afghanistan.
President Mikheil Saakashvili and opposition leaders have demanded a full and transparent investigation into the incident.
Giorgi Lomsadze is a journalist based in Tbilisi, and author of Tamada Tales.
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