Georgia declares ceasefire in breakaway province

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has ordered his country's troops to observe a ceasefire in the breakaway province of South Ossetia, after three days of fighting with Russian troops, Georgia's foreign ministry said Sunday.

Earlier in the day, Georgian troops retreated from South Ossetia, driven out by Russian firepower as the conflict threatened to set off a wider war.

Georgia's Security Council Chief Alexander Lomaia said Georgian troops have relocated to new positions outside South Ossetia.

Russia sent troops into the region on Friday after Georgian troops tried to regain control of the province with an offensive that involved artillery, armour and aircraft.

Russia responded with overwhelming military might, saying it had to protect its peacekeepers and civilians in South Ossetia, where most residents hold Russian passports.

Despite the retreat and ceasefire order, Russia continued its bombing raids on Sunday, hitting a military airfield on the outskirts of the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.

Russia also deployed a naval squadron off the coast of another of Georgia's separatist regions, Abkhazia.

The Georgian foreign ministry said it had contacted Russia's envoy to Tbilisi with an offer to begin talks with Moscow, but there has been no official response from Russia.

"Georgia expresses its readiness to immediately start negotiations with the Russian Federation on ceasefire and termination of hostilities," the ministry said in a statement.

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin earlier said Moscow needs to verify the Georgian withdrawal. "We must check all that. We don't trust the Georgian side," he said.

Russian officials estimate about 2,000 people have been killed during the fighting. Georgian officials said 300 civilians have been killed.