A big catch

Riduan bin Isamuddin (aka "Hambali"), the alleged mastermind behind the Bali and Marriott bombings in Indonesia, has been captured:

The alleged terrorist leader believed to be behind a string of terror attacks in Indonesia including the Bali bombing in which more than 200 people were killed, has been captured.

The White House said last night that Riduan bin Isamuddin, also known as Hambali, had been seized in South-east Asia and was in American custody at an undisclosed location outside the United States.

He was arrested in Ayutthaya in central Thailand on Monday in a joint operation led by the CIA. Thai sources said that he had already been flown to Indonesia.
[...]
Hambali has been described as al-Qa'ida's chief representative and operational planner in South-east Asia. His group, Jemaah Islamiyah, was linked to the Bali bombing in October and a series of deadly church bombings in the Philippines.

He is also suspected of being behind last week's bombing at the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta in which 12 people were killed and about 150 were hurt. A car bomb, placed inside a Toyota Kijang, Indonesia's best-selling car, was used in both attacks.

Posted by damian at August 15, 2003 08:41 AM