MEGVREKISI, Georgia (Reuters) – Fighting raged in and around the capital of Georgia’s breakaway South Ossetia region on Friday as Georgian troops, backed by warplanes, pounded separatist forces in a bid to re-take control of the territory.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Georgia, engaged in a large-scale operation to regain control of its breakaway province of South Ossetia, told its other separatist region, Abkhazia, on Friday to stay away from the conflict.

TBILISI (Reuters) – Three Russian jets entered Georgian airspace and “dropped bombs” at two locations just south of breakaway South Ossetia, where fighting raged on Friday, Georgia’s interior ministry said.