ISRO shootout not a terror attack, says Govt

Bangalore: There was a major security breach at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) centre at Byalalu in Bangalore on Tuesday morning when two unidentified men reportedly opened fire at the CISF personnel present there and managed to escape.

The two unidentified men were reportedly spotted roaming suspiciously outside ISRO's Byalalu centre in Bangalore. The CISF guard reportedly went and interrogated the duo but they opened fired at the guards.

The CISF guard, too, returned the fire forcing the duo to flee.

However, Karnataka Additional Director General of Police Abdul Rahman Infant said that the CISF constable who alleged the attack was hallucinating.

The ADGP said that no one except the constable had seen the two men who had allegedly fired and added that no bullet had been found.

"CISF constable Jadhav claims to have seen two people in khaki uniform. The Police got the information in the night. When the incident happened, two other constables were not in the main gate. It is difficult to say whether there was an attack. There is no sign of attack or bullet marks. No bullet was found. Except Jadhav, nobody has seen them," said the ADGP.

Speaking about the shootout, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said in Lok Sabha that there was no terror attack.

"We have asked the CISF to do another security review. It was an amateurish attempt. The firing was done from a distance, which suggests an amateurish attempt. At the moment we can call it only as an attack; whether it's a terrorist or somebody else we will know (later)," said Chidambaram.

ISRO spokesperson P Satish said that the duo was challenged by the security guards.

"Two unidentified persons were roaming around suspiciously. ISRO security questioned the persons who then opened fired with a small pistol that they were carrying. Since it happened outside the campus they managed to escape," said Satish.

When asked if the two people were planning a terror attack on the centre, Satish replied, "It is not for ISRO to conclude. It is for other agencies to find out who they were. The security system is reviewed regularly and whatever are the recommendation by the Home Ministry are implemented."

The incident happened at between 0330 hrs IST and 0400 hrs IST.

No one was injured during the shootout and ISRO officials ruled out any terror attack.

Police have registered a complaint and launched an investigation into the shootout.

But intelligence agencies have long identified ISRO among possible terror targets.

The ISRO Centre at Byalalu, about 40 kms from Bangalore, contains India's biggest antenna to the skies and houses the Indian Deep Space Network.

The 32m wide antenna at the centre has been designed to track signals from deep space missions, including the moon mission Chandrayaan, as well as Mars.

The Rs 100-crore facility at Byalalu works as a base station for the Chandrayaan project and is spread over 120 acres.

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