Indonesia suspect 'in shoot-out'

Police efforts to find Noordin are focused on central Java

Indonesian police hunting terror suspect Noordin Mohamed Top have been involved in a shoot-out on Java with suspected militants.

There has been no confirmation that the exchange of fire involves Noordin - one of the most significant suspects in South-East Asia.

But unconfirmed reports on Indonesian TV said that Noordin had been arrested.

He is suspected of involvement in July's Jakarta hotel bombings and the 2002 Bali blasts, in which 202 died.

He is also thought to have been behind attacks on the Jakarta Marriott in 2003 and the Australian embassy in 2004, and also on a series of restaurants in Bali in 2005 in which more than 20 people were killed.

Raid 'ongoing'

Noordin, a Malaysian national, was thought to be a key recruiter and financier for a regional Islamist militant group, Jemaah Islamiah, but has now formed his own militant group.

A lull in militant attacks since 2005 came to an end in July with suicide attacks on two hotels in Jakarta, raising concerns that Noordin was becoming active again.

Friday's shoot-out took place in Temanggung district in central Java and involved an elite anti-terror unit, police said.

TV reports said the police had closed off an area of 1 sq km and had arrested two people. It quoted police as saying that the man who rented the house being raided resembled Noordin.

Reports said the raid was still going on after several hours of sporadic gunfire.

Correspondents say the search for Noordin has focused on central Java because he is believed to have a network of sympathisers there.

He is the Indonesian police's main target and there is a $100,000 (£59,000) reward for information leading to his capture.