Moscow/Tbilisi, Georgia - The war between Russian and Georgia expanded on Saturday morning, with fighting spilling outside the Caucasus province of Ossetia, and both sides moving reinforcements to the region.

The fiercest fighting was in the South Ossetian city of Tskhinvali, where street fighting and artillery exchanges continued sporadically throughout the night.

Intense howitzer and tank fire in the vicinity of the town was audible by mid-morning on Saturday.

Georgian television showed images of hundreds of rockets and heavy artillery shells crashing into Tskhinvali. Shelling reduced entire city blocks to rubble, according to eyewitnesses.

Ludhiana-based SEL Manufacturing Company Ltd has received an export order for exporting readymade garments i.e. innerwears to the extent of appx. 1.1 million pieces from the party in Russia.  

Moscow/Tbilisi, Georgia - Russian aircraft carried out airstrikes overnight Friday against targets near Tbilisi, according to reports early Saturday from Georgia.

The conflict over Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia region raged on as the Georgian Air Force base at Vaziani was bombed, according to the Russian news agency Itar-Tass, citing the Georgian Interior Ministry.

There were no initial details about casualties or damage at the air base, about 20 kilometres south-east of the capital.

Attacks by air were also reported at a military base in Senaki in western Georgia and in Poti, a port on the Black Sea.

New Delhi, Aug. 8 : The Russian Federation on Friday accused Georgia of backtracking on an agreement that was aimed at restoring peace in South Ossetia.

A Russian Foreign Ministry statement claimed that Georgian military units undertook “a treacherous, massive attack on Tskhinvali” hours after the leaderships of the two countries had arrived at an understanding to end the “conflict in South Ossetia”.

The statement further went on to question the credibility of the Georgian leadership, which it said was a “responsible participant of the negotiation process and of the international intercourse corresponding to the principles of the United Nations Charter”.

Moscow - South Ossetia has appealed to its ally Russia for military aid in violent fighting with Georgian troops who surrounded the capital Friday.

"Heavy fighting in and around Tskhinvali is ongoing," the South Ossetian Press and Information Committee reported. "The people of South Ossetia request the president and the leadership of the Russian Federation to help and to undertake measures to protect its citizens."

Most residents in South Ossetia and Georgia's other breakaway region have been issued Russian passports as Moscow stepped up ties with the rebel governments in recent years, angering Tbilisi.

New York - The UN Security Council met in emergency session to discuss the escalation of violence in Georgia's separatist region of South Ossetia.

Russia, which is closely allied with South Ossetia, called the meeting, which began late Thursday in New York. Its ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, accused Georgia of aggressive behaviour toward the breakaway region.

While the meeting was taking place, the Georgian government and South Ossetia separatists deployed fighter jets to carry out bombings on one another Friday after a ceasefire declared by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was broken after a few hours, a news report said.