Georgia: Conflicting Reports Surround Shooting on Border With an Enclave.

There were conflicting reports on Wednesday about a shooting at the border between Georgia and South Ossetia, a breakaway enclave under Russia's military protection. The government of Georgia accused ''occupation forces'' of firing on unarmed civilians it said were gathering herbs near the boundary, wounding two, one of them seriously. But South Ossetian officials said that members of the enclave's K.G.B., which patrols the boundary, discovered a group of Georgian youths inside the border. According to Res, an Ossetian news service, a firefight was begun from the Georgian side and Georgian citizens were arrested. South Ossetia gained de facto independence in 2008 after Russia and Georgia fought a short war over it and another rebellious territory. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]