COVRYN - Colonel Thoun Gaterau, Lead Field Agent for the Black Eagles, held a press conference this afternoon in response to media queries, including a number from independent capsuleers, regarding Guristas presence in Placid last Friday.
The questions center on kill reports that show the destruction of a group of Rattlesnake-class battleships at the hand of a capsuleer force, which included two dreadnoughts and a rare Mimir-class heavy assault ship.
Colonel Gaterau explained that the Federal Intelligence Office "believe that Guristas forces breached the Caldari border into Lonetrek via M-OEE8 in Tribute, before passing through The Citadel , then Black Rise, and into Placid via Aldranette in pursuit of an unidentified vessel."
Speaking in front of the assembled Interstellar Press on board Federal Intelligence Office headquarters in Renyn, Gaterau continued by noting that the FIO "are confident this was a typical raid, and that it formed either part of a Guristas training exercise, or a manhunt for one of their own whose intention was to defect from their organization."
When questioned regarding the rumors an unidentified vessel, Gaterau, expressed that "the FIO have uncovered no evidence to suggest that prototype or otherwise unconventional vessels were a part of this raid" and dispelled hearsay by confirming that "Federation Navy Tripwire forces did register a series of frigate grade warp signatures, which closely match the profile of a Malediction-class interceptor."
The Federal Intelligence Office closed the press conference by revealing that "the case file relating to this incident has now been closed and archived, and the FIO believes this to have been an isolated raid that fell afoul of capsuleer forces."
When approached, the Caldari Navy declined to comment on the incident.