Jakarta, Nov 01: Two of Southeast Asia's most wanted terrorists appeared to have slipped through a police dragnet and fled to eastern or central Java, Indonesian police said today. It would be the second time this week that Malaysian explosive experts Azahari bin Husin and Noordin Mohammed top have eluded Indonesian authorities. They fled their rented house in Bandung, the capital of west Java, on Wednesday before a police raid and appeared to have left the city despite the presence of 1,500 officers and numerous road blocks. Bandung is about 180 kilometers west of Jakarta.

"We suspect that both men have fled to east or central Java," Police Brigadier General Soenarko said. "We've requested that owners of boarding houses and small hotels be on the lookout for individuals fitting Azahari and Noordin's physical characteristics." Azahari and Noordin are believed to be members of the al-Qaeda-linked terror group Jemaah Islamiyah. Both men were among a list of 10 Malaysians who had their assets frozen by the United States last month for suspected terrorist activity.


Bureau Report