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'Militants' killed in Java raid Bali suspect 'dies' in Java raid
(9 minutes later)
Four people have been killed during a police operation against suspected militants on the island of Java, Indonesian officials have said. Indonesia's most-wanted Islamist militant, Noordin Mohamed Top, has been killed during a raid in central Java, say police.
Armed police raided a house in the outskirts of the city of Solo, believed to be a militant stronghold, capturing three other people in the process. National police chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri said the man wanted for July's Jakarta hotel bombings was among four killed in a raid near Solo city.
Witnesses say they heard an explosion and gunfire coming from the house. It is not the first time Indonesian officials have claimed Noordin is dead.
Some reports say the target was Urwah - an associate of Indonesia's most-wanted militant, Noordin Mohammed Top. He was a member of Jemaah Islamiah, which was behind the Bali bombings in 2002 and 2005, that killed 202 people.
Urwah is believed to have been killed in the raid, although this has not been confirmed by the authorities. The BBC's Karishma Vaswani in Jakarta says police are sure this time that Noordin is dead because they have carried out fingerprint tests to verify his identity.
Top speculation Police are reported to have closed in on the rented house late on Wednesday after arresting two suspects nearby.
Police are reported to have closed in on the house late Wednesday after arresting two suspects nearby. Witnesses said they heard gunfire through the night and then an explosion early on Thursday.
Witnesses said they heard gunfire through the night and then an explosion early on Thursday as police closed in on the rented house. NOORDIN MOHAMED TOP Born in Malaysia, fled to Indonesia after 9/11Wanted over bombings on Bali in 2002 and 2005 and other attacksSaid to have split from Jemaah Islamiah and set up new groupMain accomplice Azahari Husin killed by police in 2005Escaped police raid in 2006 and continues to evade capture class="" href="/2/hi/asia-pacific/4302368.stm">Profile: Noordin Mohamed Top class="" href="/2/hi/asia-pacific/8155240.stm">Profile: Jemaah Islamiah
Four men were killed in the stand-off and a pregnant woman was arrested, said national police spokesman Nanan Sukarna. A pregnant woman was among those arrested during the operation, said police.
Explosives and grenades were also found in the house, Maj Gen Sukarna said. Explosives and grenades were found in the house, Maj Gen Sukarna said.
NOORDIN MOHAMED TOP Born in Malaysia, fled to Indonesia after 9/11Wanted for planning bombings on Bali in 2002 and 2005 and other attacksSaid to have split from Jemaah Islamiah over strategy disagreements and set up new groupMain accomplice Azahari Husin killed by police in 2005Escaped police raid in 2006 and continues to evade capture class="" href="/2/hi/asia-pacific/4302368.stm">Profile: Noordin Mohamed Top class="" href="/2/hi/asia-pacific/8155240.stm">Profile: Jemaah Islamiah The bodies of the four suspected militants killed have been taken to Jakarta for DNA testing, police said.
The bodies of the four people killed in the raid have been taken to Jakarta for DNA testing, police said. Following a previous raid, on 8 August, police claimed they had killed Malaysian-born Noordin after a 17-hour siege, only to admit several hours later that he had slipped through their net again.
Reports have raised the possibility that Noordin was among those killed in the raid. Police sources were quoted in several reports saying they were "90% certain that it's Noordin Top".
After a previous raid, on 8 August, police claimed they had killed Noordin after a 17-hour siege, only to admit several hours later that he had slipped through their net again.
Noordin is wanted for plotting the bombings in Bali in 2002 and 2005, which killed 202 people, and other attacks in Indonesia.
A four-year period of calm ended in July with twin suicide bomb attacks on the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta that killed nine people and injured scores of others.A four-year period of calm ended in July with twin suicide bomb attacks on the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta that killed nine people and injured scores of others.
On raids in Cilacap, central Java, in July, police said they found bomb-making material at an Islamic boarding school, and explosives buried in the garden of a house of Noordin's father-in-law.On raids in Cilacap, central Java, in July, police said they found bomb-making material at an Islamic boarding school, and explosives buried in the garden of a house of Noordin's father-in-law.
Noordin was said to be a key financier for the militant Islamic group Jemaah Islamiah, but is now thought to have set up his own splinter group.Noordin was said to be a key financier for the militant Islamic group Jemaah Islamiah, but is now thought to have set up his own splinter group.
Indonesian police have launched a massive manhunt for the elusive fugitive, the BBC's Karishma Vaswani in Jakarta says.