Georgia closes the border with Azerbaijan

The National Security Council (SNB) of Georgia decided to temporarily close the state border with Azerbaijan. RIA Novosti was reported on Sunday in the SNB apparatus.

“For a while, the Krasny bridge checkpoint will close, which is on the border with Azerbaijan. Such a measure is dictated by the need to combat smuggling, which in a huge number enters Georgia through this checkpoint,” the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Defense and Security of Givi Targamadze said at a press conference on Sunday.

In turn, Georgian Deputy Minister of State Security, Georgy Ugulava, who took part in the press conference, noted that the village of Ponyala and Karadzhal in the Kvemo-Cartl region of Georgia remained uncontrolled territory for a long time.

"Despite the repeated attempts of the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs, even the regional department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia was not able to open here," Ugulava said.

On Sunday morning, in a number of villages of the Kwemo-Cartl region of Georgia, which borders with Azerbaijan, the financial police and a special unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia named after Guluha held a joint special operation to combat smuggling.

About 200 special forces took part in the operation. During the operation, the smugglers opened fire, as a result of which four special forces received slight injuries.

During the operation, up to ten machines, several grenades and pistols, drugs, gold products and a large amount of smuggling of products were seized. In addition, several local residents of Azerbaijani nationality were detained.