Small Georgian Force Breaks Through Siege of Sukhumi

A small force of 300 soldiers supported by tanks broke through to the besieged city of Sukhumi, but the main government reinforcements were bogged down Sunday under enemy fire, government officials said.

Georgian military officials claimed that Abkhazian separatists had been forced out of the city’s center and order restored Sunday morning.

But the Russian news agency Itar-Tass reported late Sunday that the rebels had nearly taken Sukhumi and had surrounded a house containing Georgian leader Eduard A. Shevardnadze.

Itar-Tass said Georgian authorities had urged the Russian military to evacuate Shevardnadze. It said his life was considered in danger.

Shevardnadze’s press office in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, denied the report, which could not be independently confirmed. Earlier, Shevardnadze’s office reported him visiting front-line positions within Sukhumi to boost morale and moving around to avoid capture.

The Abkhazians again offered a safe corridor for Georgian forces to retreat from Sukhumi. Shevardnadze has repeatedly stated he will not leave the city.

The 300 troops arrived Saturday over dirt mountain roads under cover of darkness, according to the officials. They were led by Georgian Defense Minister Gen. Georgy Karkarashvili, who earlier had left Sukhumi and crossed enemy lines to reach the government forces, they said.

There was no way to independently confirm the report.

Sukhumi, regional capital of the breakaway Abkhazia region of western Georgia, was cut off from the rest of the country after the rebels began an offensive 11 days ago. Many of the estimated 20,000 civilians left in the city reportedly have been gripped by panic.

The main column of Georgian forces trying to fight its way to Sukhumi was stalled Sunday under Abkhazian fire about 10 miles from the city’s outskirts, officials said. The number of troops is believed to be 4,000 to 5,000.

Fierce street battles raged throughout Sukhumi overnight Saturday with Abkhazian forces, backed by Russian volunteers, taking control of the city’s railway station and a number of suburban districts, according to reports from the city.