International terrorist - Bali bomber - Noordin Top arrested

August 7th, 2009 - 8:52 pm ICT by John Le Fevre  

Noordin MohammedNoordin Mohammed Top, the terrorist responsible for a string of fatal bomb blasts in Indonesia over the last seven years is reported to have been arrested by Indonesian authorities.

Top, a key member of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), an al-Qaeda-linked group that wants to establish an Islamic state across Southeast Asia, was reportedly arrested by Indonesian authorities in Jakarta Friday.

Forty-year-old Top, one of the most wanted men in Asia, is believed to have been the mastermind behind a string of deadly bombings, including the 2002 Bali bombing, the 2003 JW Marriott hotel bombing in Jakarta, the 2004 Jakarta Australian embassy bombing, the 2005 Bali bombings and more recently the bombings of the Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels on July 17.

Nicknamed the Moneyman, the Malaysian born Top has been wanted by Malaysian and Indonesian authorities since 2002 and in 2006 was ranked number three of the FBIs War on Terrorism most wanted list.

The 2002 bali bombing in the resort town of Kuta killed more than 202 people, a further 12 were killed in the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta in 2003, several more were killed as a result of a car bomb outside the Australian embassy in 2004, 23 killed in the 2005 Bali bombings, and seven at the most recent Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels on July 17.

The campaign of random bomb blasts has left hundreds of people injured and Indonesian authorities have been relentless in attempting to track the terrorist down.

In April 2006 Top narrowly escaped capture after his safe-house was raided by heavily armed Indonesian police in Binangun, Central Java.

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