Police were narrowing in on a Southeast Asia terror ringleader, with thousands of troops going door-to-door, checking cars, and combing railway and bus stations in central Indonesia, authorities said yesterday.
The manhunt for Malaysian fugitive Noordin Mohamad Top, believed to be a key member of the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah, follows the death of his closest ally in terror, Azahari bin Husin, who was killed in a police raid on Wednesday.
Though Azahari's death was seen as a major blow to the group, which former members say is motivated in part by anger at US foreign policy in the Muslim world, security experts caution Jemaah Islamiyah remains capable of carrying out more attacks.
The discovery of 30 bombs in Azahari's hideout in Batu -- a sleepy resort town 860km east of the capital of Jakarta -- raised fresh alarm bells. Many were small devices that could easily be concealed in backpacks or suicide belts.
Lieutenant General Makbul Padmanegara, the country's chief detective, said police also found two computers in the three-story house that could lead to possible terror targets. Vests, belts, an automatic 9mm handgun, cellular cards and documents were also seized.
"We hope the evidence will tell us more about the network and what their next target may have been," Padmanegara said.
The immediate focus was getting to Top, seen as Jemaah Islamiyah's real strategist and one of its main recruiters.
Major General Ansyaad Mbai, the country's anti-terror chief, said thousands of troops were deployed to Central Java province where he was believed to be on the run.
Detectives said their focus yesterday was on the city of Semarang.
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