Fighting in Georgia's separatist South Ossetia region came to a halt Saturday as a cease-fire took effect amid a push to end fighting that has left several dead and dozens injured in recent days, officials said.
The cease-fire pact, agreed by Georgia, Russia, representatives of South Ossetia and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), went into effect at midnight (1900 GMT Friday).
Both Russian and Georgian officials said the cease-fire was generally respected, but a Georgian interior ministry spokesman said one Georgian peacekeeper was hit by a sniper several hours after the accord came into force.
The incident occurred along a rail line near South Ossetia's main city, Tskhinvali, where Georgian troops were stationed, he said. The soldier sustained a head wound and was airlifted to hospital.