Jakarta, September 19: DNA tests confirmed that Noordin Mohammed Top, one of Asia’s most-wanted Islamist militants, was killed in a police raid this week, Indonesian police said Saturday.
Malaysian-born Noordin was killed Thursday along with three other suspected militants in a police raid on a house near the Central Java city of Solo, ending a six-year nationwide manhunt.
Police said they believed Noordin was responsible for the July 17 bombings of two Jakarta luxury hotels, which killed nine people, and for a string of other attacks since 2003.
“DNA samples from Noordin’s children in Cilacap [Indonesia] and Malaysia matched with the body,” said Eddy Suparwoko, head of the police Disaster Victim Identification unit.
Police said Noordin managed to wed at least twice while on the run in Indonesia.
Analysts said marriage was part of Noordin’s efforts to obtain protection he needed in hiding from authorities.
National police spokesman Nanan Soekarna said Noordin’s body would be returned to Malaysia as soon as possible.
“[Noordin’s] family may not need to come to Indonesia” to retrieve the body, he said.
Terrorism experts said Noordin was a key financier and recruiter for the Jemaah Islamiyah militant group, blamed for attacks in Indonesia from 2000 to 2003, including the 2002 Bali bombing, but he later formed his own, more violent organization after disagreements with more moderate militants within Jemaah Islamiyah.
—–Agencies