Police confirmed terror leader Dr Azahari's death

Indonesian police confirmed the death of Malaysian terror leader Dr Azahari bin Husin in a shootout with police in Batu, East Java today.

Media Indonesia Online reported few minutes ago that Chief of Criminal Section of Police Headquarter Makbul Padmanegara had confirmed the death of Dr Azahari while other terror leader Noordin M. Top (also Malaysian) escaped from the raid.

The Jakarta Post meanwhile reported that seven militants were killed in the gun battle with Indonesian police.

A jounalist told ANTV Azahari blew himself up Wednesday after being cornered by the police at his hideout.

"The body was in pieces but his face could still be recognised by two members of the anti-terrorist unit from Jakarta," Karni Ilyas, who was with the police anti-terror unit when they entered the house, said.

"He blew himself up together with the house."

Batu police chief Sudijono told Reuters he had seen the bodies of seven militants he described as "terrorists", although they had not been identified.

"We have seen seven bodies," Sudijono said.

There was no immediate word of any casualties among security forces.

Dino Patti Djalal, a spokesman for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said it was not clear if Azahari had been killed.

"It was believed Azahari was hiding in this house, but there is no confirmation at the moment that Azahari was there," Djalal told Reuters, adding the president was following events closely.

Jemaah Islamiah bomb expert Dr Azahari has been fingered as the mastermind of the bombing of the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta which left 11 dead and 149 injured few years ago. Security agencies in Southeast Asia are also blaming the former Universiti Teknologi Malaysia lecturer for other bombing campaigns.

His other credentials include the Oct 12 Bali blast, which killed over 200 people, bombings of churches in Pekanbaru and Medan on Christmas Eve in 2000 and blast at the Atrium Plaza in Jakarta the same year.

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