of noordin mohammed top dead

Indonesian police claim raid 'may have killed Noordin Mohammed Top': Armed Indonesian police raided an Islamic militant hideout, leaving at least five people dead including what is believed to be Noordin Mohammed Top.

Loud explosions and gunfire were heard as police stormed the house at around 7:00am (0000 GMT) at the end of a nine-hour siege on the outskirts of Solo city, a longtime stronghold of militants of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) radical network.

"Five bodies have been taken out of the house. Four have been identified as Urwah, Maruto, Susilo and Putri Munaroh," a police intelligence officer said.

"The fifth body was decapitated by the second explosion, we suspect he may be Noordin Mohammed Top as he has fair skin and is tall like Noordin," the officer said.

Police have declined to say if the target of the operation was Noordin, a Malaysian who leads a radical splinter faction of JI blamed for a string of deadly attacks.

Asked if Noordin was among those killed in the raid, Special Detachment 88 anti-terror squad chief Saud Usman Nastion said: "I don't know."