Bali Bomber Dead, Confirms Indonesia
Indonesia has confirmed that one of the masterminds of the 2002 Bali bombing is dead, said media reports.
Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono confirmed the death of Jemaah Islamiah figure Dulmatin, said reports.
Prior to confirmation, country’s media have been reporting that Dulmatin was one of three men shot dead during a police raid outside Jakarta yesterday.
Reports said that TV footage had shown a man lying dead, holding revolver.
Yudhoyono confirmed, at a lunch in Canberra, death of Dulmatin, who was believed to have been hiding in the southern Philippines.
“I can announce to you that after a successful police raid against the terrorists hiding out in Jakarta yesterday, we can confirm one of those killed was Mr Dulmatin, one of the top South-East Asian terrorists that we have been looking for,” he was quoted as saying through an interpreter.
“For the safety of our people, for the safety of Australians and Indonesians and the rest of the world, let us continue our cooperation to fight terrorism.”
Australia congratulated Indonesia over the raids which killed Dulmatin, but Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told Yudhoyono that he could not ease tough warnings of more extremist attacks in the country.
The families of those killed in the Bali bombings also welcomed the news.
A total of 202 people were killed in the bombings in October 2002, including 88 Australians.
