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KAMPUNG MELAYU, Malaysia - Slain Islamist militant leader Noordin Mohammed Top was laid to rest in his childhood village 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 told AFP.
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.
Police then escorted the coffin to the cemetery as chants of "Allahuakbar" or "God is Great" filled the air. After it was interred, Noordin's wife and relatives sprinkled perfumed water on the grave.
Noordin was buried next to his elder brother Arif Mohammed Top, who died of liver cancer less than two weeks ago.
Dozens of Noordin's relatives were in attendance to mourn their relative.
Police filmed the event and checking the identification of all those who turned up for the funeral.
"I'm feeling sad because we didn't have time to see him (alive) and see what he is doing, whether what he did was correct," said Noordin's 59-year old brother-in-law, who refused to be be named for fear of reprisals.
"As a Muslim, all the teachings of the Prhophet, always do good things, any bad things you shouldn't do. In this case someone brainwashed him or something, I just don't know."
Police earlier Friday sealed off access to the small village cemetery as a large group of local and international media descended on Noordin's hometown.
Many family members and relatives had waited for the last two days at his family's simple zinc and concrete home, which is located about 200 metres from the roadside cemetery where the militant leader was buried.
Relatives were protective of Noordin's son and two daughters, refusing to allow reporters to speak to them.
Noordin is believed to have masterminded a string of bloody attacks, including the double suicide bombing of the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in the Indonesian capital Jakarta in July that left seven people dead.
He is also held responsible for a 2003 attack on the Marriott that killed 12 people, as well as the 2004 bombing of the Australian embassy in Jakarta and 2005 attacks on tourist restaurants on the holiday island of Bali.
- AFP /ls
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