Top Asian terrorist Azahari dead: Updated

Top Asian terrorist Azahari dead: Updated

Indonesian officials confirm that Azhari Husin, one of South Asia's most deadly terrorists, is dead, blowing himself up to avoid being captured during an encounter with the police. Azahari had earlier managed to avoid being captured many times but on this occasion luck deserted him.

A police counterterrorism cell learnt on Wednesday that Mr. Azhari was in Malang, 400 miles east of Jakarta, says national police chief, Gen. Sutanto. The police officials took the requisite actions and encircled the house where Azahari was staying. What followed was an intense battle with explosions. In the ensuing fight, officials feel Azahari blew himself up believing he couldn't escape.

General Sutanto said the police managed to locate three bodies in the house. Suspecting that one of them did represent Azahari's physical features, Sutanto cautioned that the air would be cleared only after the fingerprints test and DNA report is out.

Azahari, an electronics expert, designed the car bomb which led to a massacre in the resort island of Bali back in 2002, claiming 202 lives of which 88 were Australians.

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Referred to as the "demolition man" by the press in Malaysia, Azahari is also alleged to have played a crucial role in a number of bomb attacks on Western targets in Indonesia and is believed to be the foremost bomb maker in Jemaah Islamiah, a obscure association connected to al Qaeda.

The possible death of one of Southeast Asia's most wanted Islamic militants was seen as a welcome sign by security experts though they were vigilant in their approach stating that it will not eradicate the menace of terrorism.

Meanwhile, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, too was cautious as ever. "We need laboratory evidence to make sure," warned Yudhoyono indicating that it was too early to come to draw conclusions.

Ansyaad Mbai, head of Indonesia's anti-terrorist coordinating board, termed the assemblage run by Azahari as a very influential one and that Wednesday's actions will definitely bring down their impact by some extent.

However, like many others, he too warned that this is not the end. “A movement with ideological and political motives won't die, even if the leading figure dies," says Mbai.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard described the happenings as a huge advance in the war on terrorism (if the death is confirmed.)

Azhari, 48, converted himself to Islam very late in life. Born in Malaysia, he received a Ph.D from England and later went on to be a professor at the University of Technology, Malaysia.