Kampung Melayu, (Malaysia): Slain Islamist militant leader Noordin Mohammed Top was laid to rest in his childhood village on Friday, three weeks after he was killed in a raid on his Indonesian hideout.
"Noordin's body was received in full Muslim tradition and
following customary last rites he was buried here," family
representative Badarudin Ismail said.
The leader of a violent splinter faction of the radical
Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) network, the 41-year-old Malaysian was
killed along with several other militants in Central Java in
Indonesia three weeks ago.
Badarudin said Noordin's wife, Rahmah Rusdi, and his
brother, Yahya Mohammed Top, had travelled to Indonesia to
claim the body and accompany the remains to Noordin's home
village in southern Johor state.
"The body arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport
earlier this afternoon and it was then brought straight here
for religious rites at the Jamek Nurul Iman mosque in the
village," he said.
The body of the terrorist mastermind arrived at the small
village in an ambulance, escorted by police outriders who were
part of a heavy security presence.
The atmosphere was tense as they escorted the brown
coffin all the way into the mosque, where it was briefly
opened for family members.
Over 2,000 relatives, friends and local residents
attended the funeral, with emotional scenes as two
grief-stricken women fainted.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, October 02, 2009, 23:54