Nakugard – Republic forces announced today the capture and arrest of a Nakugard resident on suspicion of taking part in the sabotage of the Krusual Tribe arms complex in which a confirmed 107 workers, the majority Krusual, lost their lives. Sources within the Republic Customs Service indicated that Kammas Grayli, 42 years old and apparently a Republic citizen, was captured by a customs frigate as he tried to avoid a search and slip through the Hek stargate in a shuttle. These sources also indicated that an Ammatar link has been established through Grayli.
Background checking on Grayli indicates that although he is nominally of Sebiestor lineage, he has a Nefantar grandfather. In light of this, the Customs Service has traced Grayli's movements in the last three years and determined that he has visited the Ammatar Mandate on at least one occasion. Ostensibly, Grayli has acted as a technical advisor in the mining industry and was present at a negotiation held during a short-lived ceasefire in the borderlands of the Republic and the Mandate. It is believed that Grayli's expertise with explosives and the possibility that he is an Ammatar agent has made him the prime suspect in the sabotage case.
Krusual forces have been increasingly active in the borderlands between the Republic and the Ammatar Mandate. There have been numerous encounters and stand-offs between light patrol groups belonging to the Krusual militia and Ammatar forces. These have heightened tensions on the border and it has been reported that in one incident warning shots were exchanged. Ammatar-backed sabotage of the Nakugard arms manufacturing facility may be aimed at disrupting the logistics of the Krusual forces deployed along the disputed border.
No official announcement has been released and Republic authorities are continuing to gather evidence at the site of the explosions while urging all residents to maintain vigilance. The Krusual Tribe has not yet commented on the sabotage or investigation while it prepares for the funeral rituals of those tribal members who died in the arms complex. Several regiments of tribal militia and a full battlegroup of Krusual warships remain on high alert in Nakugard.