Residents of Pankisi Gorge respond to threats from the Interior Minister . According to locals, if the police starts a series of detentions, the Pankisi people will once again go out in the street to defend their villagers.

Locals say that if the government wants peace, the arrests should stop. Leila Achishvili, a resident of the Pankisi Gorge, criticizes the government"s actions.

According to her, the use of force in the gorge may be a provocation that serves to tense the situation.

"It was a mistake what the government has done yesterday. They should not speak to their people with bullets and gas, because what have we done? Why was it necessary to bring the special forces? Many times I have noted that the government has very little communication with the people. Meetings with certain groups can not bring any result. They should meet ordinary citizens, "Achishvili says.

The actions of the government were unexpected for residents of the Pankisi gorge, civil activist Sulkhan Bodzikashvili. According to him, mobilization of large number of law enforcers in the Pankisi Gorge caused aggression among the population.