DNA tests have confirmed that Southeast Asia terrorist leader Noordin Top was killed days ago in a shootout with Indonesian security forces, police said Saturday.Police initially identified 41-year-old Noordin's body by taking fingerprints after the gun battle Thursday at a hide-out in central Java. DNA tests have confirmed those findings, National Police spokesman Nanan Sukarna said.
Officials showed a photo of Noordin taken after his death in which he has a thick beard, and contrasted it with photos of him clean-shaven that police used in wanted posters.
"There's no longer any doubt," Sukarna told a news conference.
Authorities had earlier believed that they killed Noordin last month in a 16-hour siege of another terrorist hide-out in central Java, but DNA tests proved otherwise.
Sukarna said Indonesian officials were coordinating with Noordin's family in Malaysia to send his body back there "as soon as possible," but did not specify a date.
| " 'Cause he's stinkin' up the joint!" |