Overnight clashes killed six Georgian servicemen in the rebel South Ossetia region, Deputy Security Minister Gigi Ugulava said today.
Fighting has broken in recent weeks in South Ossetia, in the Caucasus mountains along the border with Russia, and the crisis has drawn fierce criticism from Moscow - seen by Georgia as the region's main sponsor.
"Intensive firing continued all night until dawn. By initial estimates, six of our servicemen were killed and seven were injured," Mr Ugulava said.
The fighting has continued despite a ceasefire agreed last Friday and Western states are watching for any widening of the violence that could affect a pipeline due to supply them with Caspian oil from next year.
South Ossetian officials denied Georgian suggestions that the separatist region had also lost troops.
"There are no casualties on our side, despite the fact that Ossetian villages were under heavy bombardment all night," said Mr Irina Gagloyeva, spokeswoman for the separatist government.
South Ossetia broke away from Georgia after a 1991-2 war, and the peace is maintained by a three-sided peacekeeping force made up of the two sides and Russia.