Mikheil Saakashvili, the Georgian president, yesterday called for a ceasefire after 24 hours of heavy fighting between government forces and separatists in the breakaway region of South -Ossetia.

Yesterday's clashes follow fighting last weekend which diplomats said was the worst since 2004. Officials said separatists had destroyed a Georgian armoured personnel carrier, wounding three soldiers, while unconfirmed Georgian press reports said much higher numbers of soldiers and civilians might have been killed.