A shoot-out between two unidentified men and security personnel took place at the high-security Indian Space Research Organisation centre at Byalalu near Bangalore in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
According to ISRO spokesperson S. Satish, two men were found walking around "suspiciously" outside the centre, when the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel interrogated them. The unidentified men then fired at the guards with a small pistol, who returned fire with eight rounds. The men however escaped. "The security men were not hurt and the establishment is safe," said Mr. Satish. The incident occurred at 3.30 a.m.
ISRO's Byalalu centre located 40 km from Bangalore houses the Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) that tracked the recent moon mission, Chandrayaan-1.
Meanwhile, senior police officials, who reached the spot, said there is no evidence to link the incident to a terror strike. Efforts were underway to trace the cartridges to ascertain the firearm used to open fire. Forensic experts had also reached the spot.
However, preliminary reports suggested that the unidentified persons possessed a pair of binoculars and were presumably carrying out a recce of the ISRO centre.
In the wake of the shoot-out at Byalalu, the police has put all the sensitive installations in the City on a state of high alert.
Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa said he was monitoring the investigations into the episode and would keep the Centre updated about the developments.
Though he refused to give a terror angle to the incident, he said the shoot-out would not be taken lightly and all efforts will be made to get to the root of the matter. “It is too early to come to the conclusion that it was a terror strike”, he said.
However, he appealed to the people of the State to be alert.
