Indonesia hunts terror suspects

The two suspects were wearing explosives when they escaped

Police in the Indonesian city of Bandung are carrying out an intensive search for two of South East Asia's most wanted terrorist suspects.

Azahari Husin and Noordin Mohammed Top are suspected of involvement in the Bali and Marriott hotel bombings.

Police believe they escaped capture during a raid on Wednesday, and road blocks have been set around the city.

Police said they found four bombs in a house where the men were hiding.

The two suspects - both Malaysian nationals - escaped during the raid on the house on Wednesday because authorities feared they would detonate explosives they were wearing.

Police spokesman Zainuri Lubis said officers were "thoroughly combing" the Bandung area, but he tried to calm public fears.

"This is not a massive manhunt, but we are on full alert because what we are doing in Bandung is similar to trying to catch a big fish without muddying the waters," he said.

Mastermind

Azahari and Noordin are believed to be members of the Jemaah Islamiah militant Islamic group, which several governments have linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda.

Azahari allegedly helped build one of the bombs used in the Bali nightclub bombings last year, which killed 202 people.

He is also accused of masterminding the August bombing of Jakarta's Marriott hotel, in which 12 people died.

Noordin is suspected of helping to finance the Bali attack and of helping to build the Marriott bomb.

Police started to move in on the two men after they arrested two other terrorist suspects - identified as Ismail and Tohir - near Bandung on Wednesday.

Both of them were wanted in connection with the Marriott bombing and allegedly said they were working with Noordin and Azahari.

Along with Azahari and Noordin, authorities are still looking for six other Bali bombing suspects.

14 people have so far been detained in connection with the Marriott bombing, but no one has yet been charged.