BATTLE of KODORI   Abkhaz separatists strike disputed Georgia gorge  Posted  hours  minutes ago  Abkhazia has said it has launched an operation to drive Georgia out of a disputed gorge possibly opening a second front in Tbilisis battle to retain fractious breakaway regions  The separatist foreign minister Sergei Shamba said Abkhazian artillery and warplanes struck Georgian forces in Kodori a narrow gorge which cuts deep into the Abkhazian territory and is an ideal route for any invasion in the region  The attack came less than  hours after Georgia sent troops to retake the breakaway province of South Ossetia triggering an invasion of Russian forces dispatched to restore the status quo  Abkhazian forces in response to the Georgian aggression against South Ossetia have started a military operation the Kodori gorge to clear it from illegal Georgian troops Mr Shamba told Reuters  Mr Shamba said at midday local time Abkhaz warplanes launched airstrikes at the Tbilisicontrolled upper part of the Gorge and artillery was pounding the area  Today was only the initial part of the operation by heavy artillery supported by aviation Mr Shamba said  Georgians denied an allout Abkhaz attack and said they were ready to face down any aggression