The authorities confirmed that the body recovered after the shootout was not that of public enemy number one, Malaysian-born Noordin Moh Top, but that of Ibrohim alias Boim, 40, the Marriott florist who went missing after last month’s attack against the hotel. The forensic evidence had a 100 per cent match between the tissue from the dead man, a native of Cilimus, Kunginan, West Java, some 250 kilometres east of Jakarta, and material taken from relatives.
This means that Noordin must be presumed to be still alive, hidden in secure place in central Java where a huge man hunt is underway to find him.
Brigadier General Eddy Saparwoko also confirmed that Eko Joko Sardono, alias Eko Peyang, and Air Setiawan, both from central Java, were shot dead last week. Like Boim the two were linked to the Malaysian terrorist.
Police spokesman Inspector General Nana Sukarnan said that that Boim had been tasked with a series of attacks on 17 August, anniversary of Indonesia’s independence. The presidential palace and foreign diplomatic missions were among the targets.
Boim joined the jihad after extended contacts with his brother-in-law Saeffudin Zuhri, who recruited the two teenage suicide bombers who died in the attacks against the Marriot and Ritz-Carlton hotels.
With police on his tail, Zuhri is also said to have received three billion rupiahs (US$ 90 million) from unknown overseas donors to finance his terror plans.
In the meantime panic is spreading across the country as Indonesians fear more attacks.
The chief of police urged all citizens to be prudent and remain on guard because “there are many more terrorists whom we are hunting down.”
Jemaah Islamiyah, an Islamist movement close to al Qaeda, is reorganising and recruiting more fighters for the holy war.