Indonesia May Have Dead al Qaeda at Hand

Azahari bin Husin, a Malaysian accused of leading an al-Qaida-linked group and masterminding at least four deadly blasts in Indonesia in recent years, either was shot to death or blew himself up to avoid capture, senior police official Gen. Gorries Mere told The Associated Press.

Local TV stations reported that Azahari, who security officials have said always wore explosives around his waist to avoid being captured alive, blew himself up during the operation.

"The suspicion is that (Azahari is dead) but we will confirm it tomorrow," national police chief Gen. Sutanto told reporters at the scene, adding that investigators were not immediately entering the villa because of fears it was booby-trapped. [read more]