President Mikheil Saakashvili has ordered Georgian troops out of the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali as a "first sign of seeking a truce," a Georgian security official said Saturday, reported dpa.
Alexander Lomaia, the secretary of Georgia's National Security Council, told journalists shortly before 2 pm Central European Time that the troops were still being shelled by Russian forces.
"I confirm that the president ordered the Georgian armed forces to pull out of Tskhinvali as sign of a first step in seeking a truce with the Russian forces," Lomaia told journalists in an international conference call.
"The troops have been positioned in nearby territory of Tskhinvali and they have also been ordered not to respond to Russian shelling to the extent possible," Lomaia said in response to questions from Western journalists.
"So I can confirm there is no ceasefire," he added. "It is not always possible not to respond," he said, accusing the Russian of directing intense fire on the Georgian troops,
"President Saakashvili has made it clear that Georgia has made the first step and unilaterally pulled out of Tskhinvali," Lomaia said.