Ali Ghufron bin Haji Nurhasyim, known as Mukhlas, was born in Lamongan, East Java, in 1960. He studied at the Al-Mukmin Islamic school founded by Abu Bakar Bashir, alongside his younger brothers Amrozi and Ali Imron, both of whom he later recruited into terrorist operations.

Radicalized early, Mukhlas traveled to Afghanistan in the 1980s, where he received military and ideological training while fighting in the Soviet–Afghan War. He admitted to meeting Osama bin Laden in 1987 and maintained ties to al-Qaeda through senior JI operative Hambali.

After returning to Southeast Asia, he rose to become a senior leader in Jemaah Islamiyah, heading the group’s Mantiqi One regional command, covering Malaysia, Singapore, southern Thailand, and Sumatra. In Malaysia, he co-founded the Lukmanul Hakiem pesantren (Islamic boarding school), which served as a recruiting and training hub for JI operatives.

On 12 October 2002, Bali was rocked by coordinated terrorist attacks. A car bomb outside the Sari Club and a smaller device at Paddy’s Pub killed 202 people and injured hundreds. Mukhlas was identified as one of the masterminds. He recruited his brothers Amrozi, who procured the vehicle, and Ali Imron, who helped build and transport the bombs. The attack was funded with US$35,000 routed from al-Qaeda via Hambali.

The Bali bombings were among the deadliest terrorist attacks in Southeast Asian history and dealt a major blow to Indonesia’s tourism industry, while highlighting the global reach of al-Qaeda’s networks. On 4 December 2002, police captured Mukhlas in Solo, Central Java. He admitted to being head of one of JI’s operational cells and confirmed he had overseen planning meetings for the Bali attack.

In a police interview, he acknowledged that Hambali had provided funding, most likely sourced from Osama bin Laden’s networks in Afghanistan. Over 200 witnesses ultimately tied him to the Bali bombings during his trial.

Mukhlas’s trial began on 16 June 2003. On 2 October 2003, he was convicted of coordinating terrorism and sentenced to death. He showed no remorse, declaring the Bali bombings were carried out to avenge Muslim suffering at the hands of America and Israel.

In court, he often used his platform to denounce the United States, shouting “Allahu Akbar” upon receiving his death sentence. Though he initially embraced martyrdom, he still appealed against the decision. Initially held in Denpasar, Mukhlas was transferred to Nusakambangan prison in 2005. Along with Amrozi and Imam Samudra, he challenged the use of firing squads, requesting beheading instead.

After all appeals were rejected, he was executed by firing squad at 00:15 on 9 November 2008 on Nusakambangan Island. His brother Ali Fauzi represented the family to identify his body.