Jakarta, Sep. 17 (ANI): Terrorist mastermind Noordin Mohammed Top was killed in a police raid on a militant hideout in Central Java on Thursday, Indonesian police have officially confirmed.
The 41-year-old Malaysian-born extremist was one of four militants killed in the raid near Solo, national police chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri told reporters.
The terrorist, who was on the run for almost seven years, was identified using fingerprint analysis, Danuri said.
“He is Noordin M Top,” Danuri said, sparking a round of applause throughout the room.
Noordin led a hardline splinter group of terror organisation Jemaah Islamiah.
He was the suspected mastermind of July’s attacks on the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta that killed seven, including three Australians.
Authorities believe he also masterminded a 2003 attack on the Marriott, a 2004 attack on Australia’s embassy in Jakarta and the 2005 Bali bombings that killed four Australians.
It’s believed he also helped plan the 2002 Bali bombings which killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.Police came close to catching Noordin several times but he always managed to elude capture.
Noordin’s death will be a major setback for Islamic extremists throughout Indonesia and Southeast Asia.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s office said it was aware of reports of Top’s death.
“We are awaiting official confirmation from the Indonesian government,” Fairfax News quoted a spokesman, as saying. (ANI)
Rudd says navy sex betting ring ‘disturbing’
Canberra (Australia), July 6 (ANI): Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has expressed his dismay over reports of a sex betting ring on board a ship of the Australian Navy.
“Can I say I’m sure the Chief of Navy has all those matters under active investigation and that appropriate action will be taken? These alleged behaviours are disturbing, but it’s important also to get to the facts of it all and we’ll await the investigations by the chief of navy to establish all those facts,” Rudd told reporters here.
Rudd’s comment came after it was revealed that a group of sailors from HMAS Success had been sent home for allegedly organizing a challenge to have sex with as many female crewmates as possible.
The Seven Network reported that the sailors detailed their contest in a document called The Ledger, where dollar values were placed on each woman during an overseas deployment in May.
Larger amounts were offered if the sailors could sleep with a female officer or a lesbian and sailors challenged each other to have sex in various locations, including on top of a pool table, the report said.
The arrangement was discovered while HMAS Success was visiting Singapore.
The captain ordered the sailors to return to Australia immediately after they were formally interviewed.
On Sunday’ Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard called for a full investigation of the incident by the Australian Defence Force.
Gillard said nothing should preclude women from enjoying a full and rewarding career in the Australian Defence Force.
“Obviously this is a matter for our defence forces to deal with and to fully investigate,” Gillard told Network Ten on Sunday.
She said both the government and the nation had been saying for a long time that women should be able to join the army, the navy or air force.
“We don’t want to see anything that precludes women from having a good career in our armed forces if that is what they choose to do with their lives. Clearly these allegations need to be fully investigated,” she said.
The Defence Department confirmed a formal inquiry was underway, but said: “The veracity of any allegations has yet to be confirmed.” (ANI)