TASH MURKON. Amarrian Holder Jamir Torash was reported dead after paramilitary elements attacked and destroyed his convoy last night.
Honourable Lord Torash, head of House Torash from Chaven, was intercepted and killed by Ushra'Khan pilots. The Minmatar paramilitary group later acknowledged responsibility for the attack.
Lord Torash's convoy, travelling from Chaven to Geth and consisting of two haulers, a transport ship and armed escorts, was intercepted in the Hibi system. According to a CONCORD report, Lord Torash's transport ship was destroyed on the spot, while the two haulers were forced to jettison their cargo. The armed escorts were reported KIA.
The reasons for the attack are not clear as of yet. "While Lord Torash's assassination is the most probable cause," said Nairan Jeromi, CONCORD spokesperson, "according to the convoy's bill of lading the haulers were carrying some five thousand m3 of Vitoc; the drug being the terrorist's target cannot be ruled out, above all given the substance's shortage in Minmatar space."
In spite of CONCORD's report, Amarrian officials have little doubt about assassination being the goal. Interviewed by Amarr Certified News, Mr. Gavit Torash, son and heir to Lord Torash, said that "there is absolutely no doubt that the brutal murder of my honourable father was the objective of these subhuman beasts. The coward Minmatar scum shot his unarmed vessel in cold blood after the haulers had jettisoned their cargo. May the Lord our God punish this horrendous crime." Admiral Zarisri Chooh, Security Commander of the Amarrian Navy, went so far so as to dub CONCORD's report a "pile of rubbish, which should surprise no one. This was murder, plain and simple."
CONCORD's involvement in the issue may indeed turn out to be yet another source of friction between this organization and the Amarrian Empire: the Hibi system is classified as 0.5 on CONCORD's security scale, yet no CONCORD vessel attended the convoy's distress call. Taridor Khiknizi, Chief PR Coordinator of House Tash-Murkon, has already filed a complaint before CONCORD's Inner Circle for gross incompetence causing loss of Amarrian lives and property. "A mere formality," said Mr. Khiknizi, "given the proven inefficiency of that den of incompetent bureaucrats, good only for stalling honest citizens while protecting the worst criminals in the cluster. I'm afraid that our Navy receiving CONCORD's permission to hunt this Minmatar filth in Republic space will be, as usual, denied. I'll pray to God that swift Amarrian justice will be dispensed by other means."
Mr. Khiknizi's remarks were seen by some as a plea for Amarrian paramilitaries to intervene in this matter; no official communication on this matter from any such organization was known at the moment of this report.
The title of Lord Torash and Holder status will be inherited by Mr. Gavit Torash; the ceremony is expected to take place soon.