Indonesian Terror Suspect Noordin killed

JAKARTA: Indonesian terror suspect Noordin Mohammed Top was killed during a raid on his hideout by heavily armed counter-terrorism police in Indonesia Saturday, local television reported.

The television station did not disclose its sources and police have not confirmed the report, which came as ambulances arrived at the suspected hideout following a 17-hour siege involving heavy gunfire and explosions.

In an operation linked to the ongoing counter-terror operation in Central Java, two would-be suicide bombers who were weeks away from launching a car bomb attack were killed during a police raid near Jakarta early Saturday, the Indonesian police chief said.

National police chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri said the two men were shot dead as they were about to detonate hand-made bombs during the raid, which uncovered a cache of explosive material and a car rigged as a bomb.

He said the house in Bekasi, outside Jakarta, was being used as a base by a “cell of NMT,” referring to Noordin, wanted over multiple suicide bombings in Indonesia.

“We had to shoot them because at the time of the raid they had hand-held bombs that were about to be thrown at the police,” he said.