Ossetian Rebels Raided My Home

We arrived yesterday. We have been walking all the way (about 30 kilometers). We had been calling Gamgeoba [the local administration] but no transport was provided. We had also failed to contact our relatives. This is why we had to walk.

Some of our people are yet walking. We have no information about them, where they are or how they are.

Ossetians raided the village. They shot, they broke in, and threatened to burn and kill us all if we would not leave. Then they ordered us to tell everybody about their threat.

Then they gathered us by the church and threatened to kill us if we would not leave. While we were there in the gathering-place by church we saw houses burning. They themselves told us: "We have an order to demolish all around" and they bombed every area where they could see anyone in a uniform.

We left, and reached Tirdznisi only by midnight. We stayed in empty houses until dawn.

We had no problems while walking. To be frank, when we came to the Russian checkpoint and asked whether anything was happening, they said all was fine. They said that they were ordered not to harm civilians. No soldier or official insulted or harmed us.

Every shop and every house is burnt in our village. The bombed areas are absolutely demolished. Kokoiti [the self-declared “president” of South Ossetia] gave orders not to harm our village, because it was his village. But they still attacked and forced us to leave.

It all started about a week ago. The conflict started as the Ossetians blocked the roads and did not let us transport groceries.

I am trying to calm down. We went through a lot. We are scared.

My father and mother-in-law stayed there. We have no information about them.