US Secretary of State Colin Powell has called Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over the conflict in Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia, State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said on Tuesday.

"On the subject of Georgia, they reviewed developments there. We are both working with the parties to promote a dialogue and a peaceful resolution of the issues in South Ossetia," Ereli said at a news briefing held at the State Department.

A soldier from the Georgian peacekeeping contingent was killed and two others were wounded overnight Tuesday in fire exchanges in the country's separatist region of South Ossetia, three days after a cease-fire agreement went into effect.

Georgian central authorities and its breakaway South Ossetia signed the cease-fire agreement on Friday. However, the shelling and shooting persisted in the following consecutive three nights. Two Georgian servicemen were killed after coming under fire from South Ossetian armed groups late Sunday and early Monday.

The United States has called on all sides in the conflict over South Ossetia to show restraint and implement the cease-fire agreement that had been reached.

Source: Xinhua