Terrorism still threat despite Noordin`s death : official

Jakarta, (ANTARA News) - The threat of terrorism still exists despite the death of Malaysian-born terrorist M Noordin M Top in a police raid in Temanggung, Central Java, on Saturday, according to an official.

"His presence in Indonesia for such a long time with a series of terrorist actions carried out up to July 2009, shows that Noordin has continued to build up his power base in the form of cells. It would therefore not be correct to assume that with his death, his entire terror network has been paralyzed," Ansyaad Mbai, head of the anti-terror desk at the coordinating ministry for political, legal and security affairs, said here on Saturday.

Moreover, many terrorist suspects related to Noordin M Top and Dr Azahari were still at large, he said.

"The skills of the Noordin M Top group in making bombs have continued to be developed as can be seen from their modus operandi ... these skills, of course, have also been acquired by members of the cells which have been built up for a long time at least over the past four years," he said.

Therefore, although Noordin M Top was reportedly dead, all parties must continue to be on alert to the threat of terrorism in any form.

Anti-terror police at 9.30 am local time on Saturday raided a house believed to be a terrorist hideout at Beji village in the Kedu region of Temanggung District, Central Java.
The raid was carried out after at least five explosions were heard happening in the house. Fugitive Malaysian-born terrorist Noordin M Top was believed to have been killed in the raid.

Police officers entered the house and fired profusely inside the house while other policemen surrounded the house and opened its windows by force.

Before breaking into the house, the police fired at the house from a nearby hill.
The Indonesian government has intensified efforts to find Noordin M Top following the bombings of two hotels at Mega Kuningan, in Jakarta last July 17, 2009, which filled nine people and injured 53 others.

Based on the findings and modus operandi of the bomb blasts, Noordin M Top and his network were suspected to have been behind the bombings. Azahari was killed in a police raid in East Java in November 2005. (*)