Shevardnadze Dealt a Major Blow as Georgian Rebels Seize Key Town

Rebels dealt a severe blow to Georgian leader Eduard A. Shevardnadze on Sunday by capturing a key town after a brief attack and forcing troops to flee the burning center, abandoning dead and wounded.

Defense Ministry spokesman Soso Margishvili told reporters that Samtredia, a key rail and road junction between the Black Sea coast and the capital Tbilisi, fell after the last government forces retreated toward the east with rebels in pursuit.

Shevardnadze, the former Soviet foreign minister, suffered the added indignity of seeing the rebels loyal to former President Zviad Gamsakhurdia seize the smaller town of Khoni to the north of Samtredia after earlier being repulsed by government troops.

“I call on all units to unite under the Defense Ministry and let us fight together for the welfare of Georgia,” said National Guard commander Jemal Chumburidze on Georgian television.

He blamed fragmented and disorganized government troops for the rebels’ success.

The Interior Ministry said dozens of civilians and soldiers had died in a battle for Samtredia, which began when rebels backed by tanks and artillery crossed the river Tskhenistskali at dawn. Resistance crumbled and the rebels reached the center within hours.

There was no independent word from Samtredia on casualties, and there were no details on rebel losses.