No confirmation of Noordin's death: Rudd

There is still no confirmation that terrorist mastermind Noordin Mohammed Top was
the man killed in a shootout with police in Java, Indonesia's president has told
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
It is believed that Noordin, South-East Asia's most wanted terrorism suspect, was
killed during a raid by heavily armed counter-terrorism police at a suspected
militant hideout in Central Java province on Saturday following a 16-hour siege.
Noordin is wanted for multiple suicide bombings in Indonesia, some of which have
killed Australians.
Mr Rudd was briefed on the raid by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on
Sunday afternoon, a spokesman for the prime minister said.
"In relation to the operation in Central Java, the president said that it was not
clear if the person killed was Noordin Top, and further inquiries were being
undertaken to establish that," the spokesman said.
"The president said that it was important, not least because of attacks that had
killed Australians, that Indonesian security authorities continued their efforts
against terrorism. He thanked Australia for its support and co-operation in this
effort."
It was revealed on Saturday that the alleged terrorists planned a suicide bomb
attack later this month on a house belonging to Mr Yudhoyono, using a truck packed
with explosives.
Mr Rudd expressed relief that Mr Yudhoyono and his family were safe, the spokesman
said.
Earlier on Sunday, Mr Rudd thanked Indonesian authorities for their
counter-terrorism work, adding that Australia would spare no resource to track down
those responsible for the Jakarta hotel bombings last month, which killed nine
people including three Australians and two suicide bombers.
"The key thing is that our co-operation with the Indonesians remains strong, robust,
comprehensive and that every action is taken to crack down on those responsible for
terrorist acts," he said.
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said it would be only a matter "of hours or days,
rather than days or weeks" until Indonesian authorities could confirm if Noordin was
dead.
However he said: "In my experience ... one is always best not speculating but
waiting until we are confident of the facts and proceeding on that basis," he told
reporters in Perth on Sunday.
"We won't be leaping to any conclusions."
Noordin is believed to have masterminded all of Indonesia's major terrorist attacks,
including last month's attack and the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people,
including 88 Australians.
He is also wanted over the 2003 suicide attacks on Jakarta's J.W. Marriott hotel;
the 2004 raid on the Australian embassy in the capital; and the second Bali bombing
in 2005.