During the high profile TV coverage later that day, and while voting booths were open, Georgian officials claimed that the attack was carried out by Abkhaz forces.
Two minibuses carrying voters from Abkhazia's Gali district arrived at the football field, where they came under attack by small arms fire and grenades.
Georgian security troops were immediately present at the scene of the incident, even though Khurcha lies within the demilitarised zone, the nearest base being 15 minutes away.
[3] In October 2013, under the new government of Georgia, two former Georgian security officers, Roman Shamatava and Malkhaz Murgulia, were arrested on charges of terrorism and exceeding of official powers; prosecutors alleged the Khurcha attack was masterminded by the Georgian security agencies with the purpose of "terrorizing peaceful population on the election day".
Murgulia was soon released on bail and Shamatava was acquitted of the charges of terrorism, but ruled that he "exceeded his official powers with use of arms and violence" in July 2014.