But 20 years on, Lt-Col Bella feels he was only an actor in a complex play whose director remains unknown.
But five days later, on 31 October last year, another officer, Lt-Col Saket Saxena, was shot dead in a similar case in the Kashmir Valley.
"We have more resources now, there is a helicopter for the border guards and more commitment from the interior ministry, the military and the Cuban people too, " Lt-Col Cisneros explains.
"I think this is important for Cuba, because we're preventing the drugs reaching here, but it's also very important for the US and other countries in the area, " Lt-Col Llanez points out.
Lt-Col Steven Jordan, who headed the interrogation centre at the prison, was cleared of charges of cruelty to and maltreatment of detainees, but reprimanded for disobeying an order not to discuss the investigation.
"They try to escape us but if they can't, they try to dump the drugs because they know this activity is very heavily penalised here, " explains Lt-Col Mago Llanez Fernandez, who heads the team responsible for intercepting the smugglers at sea.
Security has deteriorated on the Yemeni side after its long-term president stepped down in 2012, Saudi border official Lt Col Hamed al-Ahmari said.
Commanding officer Lt Col Gerry Ewart-Brookes, said it was a special day for all concerned.
Legal charity Reprieve says the charges have been dropped because military prosecutor Lt Col Darrel Vandeveld - who resigned last month - complained about evidence favourable to Mr Mohamed being suppressed.
He is known to have played a major role in the negotiations - something Israeli military spokeswoman Lt Col Avital Leibovich acknowledged after his death.
"Konna is under our control this evening but we are still conducting mopping-up operations, " said Lt Col Diarra Kone, though he warned that some rebels might still be in the town.
But curiously the case opened not with the accused, but with a cross-examination of the investigating officer, Lt Col Paul Almanza.
Lt Col Paul James, his commanding officer, said Watford-born Cpl Harrison, who had been with the marines since 2003, "embodied the best of his generation".
Lt Col Strickland said Cpl Pun, 33, a father-of-two from Khibang village in Nepal's Magdi District, had been a "true Gurkha... steadfast and loyal", and a man who had "immediately earned the respect of his men".
Lt Col John Connelly from the 150 Yorkshire Transport Regiment said the initiative re-enforced the strong links between the area and the armed forces.
Marine Lt Col Brennan Byrne has told AP that most of the dead are "military-age men".
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