“Russian warplanes bombed Georgian targets on Friday, the Tbilisi government said, after Georgian forces surrounded and shelled the capital of the breakaway province of South Ossetia. Amid spiralling tensions, reports said Russian forces on peacekeeping duty in South Ossetia had been killed and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned his country would retaliate against Georgia’s offensive in the Caucasus trouble spot. At least 15 civilians were killed in the fighting and Georgian shelling and air raids on the separatist capital Tskhinvali, reports and South Ossetian officials said.” [editor’s note: The link associated with this article was reported as broken on 08/13/08, but was functional when checked - TLK] (08/08/08)