Indonesian police believes most-wanted terrorist killed in gunfight

Indonesia's police chief said on Tuesday the country's most-wanted terrorist Santoso, who has been hiding in the mountainous jungles of Central Sulawesi, was killed in a shootout on Monday evening.

"We are 80-90 percent sure that (the body) is of Santoso," General Tito Karnavian told reporters in Jakarta, adding that officers also killed another man who they believed to be Santoso's deputy Basri, who was imprisoned in 2007 for beheading three Christian students but escaped jail five years later.

According to Tito, the bodies are currently going through a series of forensic tests at the police's hospital in Central Sulawesi.

More than 3,000 officers from the Indonesian military and the police have been deployed to capture the man, who has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

Indonesia's President Joko Widodo, who took office in October 2014, vowed to make capturing Santoso -- whose armed faction has attracted militants from other parts of Indonesia -- a top priority.

This is the second time police have suggested to have taken down the elusive terrorist. The police had previously thought Santoso, who broke free from prison five years ago, was killed in January during a gunfight. Endit