New York  - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged warring parties in South Ossetia on Thursday to refrain from action that could endanger stability in their region.

Heavy fighting broke out between Georgia and South Ossetia, a breakaway region supported by Russia. The Georgian government in Tbilisi has accused Moscow of encouraging an autonomous South Ossetia.

UN spokeswoman Michelle Montas said Ban "urged the parties to refrain from any action that could further escalate the situation and threaten to destabilize the region." (dpa)