JAKARTA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- An Indonesian senior anti-terror official Saturday connected the fugitive Malaysian-born extremist Noordin M Top to Friday's suicide bombings at the JW Marriott hotel and the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Jakarta, according to the national Antara news agency.

Indonesian forensic investigators work amid the debris at the site of the bomb blast at the J.W. Marriott hotel in Jakarta July 18, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    "From the modus operandi used in Friday's bombings, it is clear they are linked to Noordin M Top," said Ansyaad Mbai, head of the anti-terror desk at Indonesia's Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs.

    He said that the crimes were carried out in a more sophisticated way, which was infiltrating into the target area.

    "The perpetrators dodged a tight security system and came very close to their target," he said, adding that it was more sophisticated to infiltrate into the target area than conducting the bombings outside as the one in JW Marriott in 2003.

Indonesian police officers are seen through broken glass at the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Jakarta July 18, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    In that case, Mbai said that Noordin M Top and his network cells were still strong, and it should be the priority to arrest Noordin M Top.

    "As long as the actor is still at large, all anticipative measures will be useless," he said.

    The Marriot bombing in 2003 killed 12 people and injure 147 others. It was believed to have been masterminded by Azhari Husin and Noordin M Top, both Malaysian nationals. Azhari was killed in a police raid in East Java in November 2005 but Noording M Top is still at large.

    Azhari and his associate Noordin Mohammad Top, a terror coordinator of the Al-Qaida-linked Southeast Asian branch of the Jemaah Islamiyah militant network, are believed to have masterminded a series of major terrorist acts in Indonesia, including the Bali bombings in 2002, the JW Marriot hotel explosions in Jakarta in 2003, a deadly blast at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta in 2004, and bombings in Bali in October 2005 that killed more than 220 people. 

Indonesian gov't secures vital targets following bombing

    JAKARTA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian government quickly safeguarded areas vital to the economy, preventing possible similar incidents after the bomb blasts that shook two luxurious hotels on Friday morning in South Jakarta, the Jakarta Post quoteda minister as saying on Saturday.

    The bomb blasts occurred in JW Marriott Hotel and Ritz-Carlton Hotel in business district Mega Kuningan in South Jakarta. Full story

Malaysia strongly condemns Jakarta hotel terrorist bombing attacks 

    KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak issued a statement here on Friday night, strongly condemning bombing attacks at two hotels in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia.

    "The Government of Malaysia condemns in the strongest terms, the horrific inhuman terrorist bombings at the JW Marriot and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta, Republic of Indonesia on 17 July 2009,"Najib said in the statement. Full story

Indonesian police find clues in suicide bombings 

    JAKARTA, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian police have found some clues in the Friday suicide bombings at JW Marriott Hotel and Ritz Carlton Hotel Hotels that killed at least nine and wounded 55 others, National Police chief General Bambang Hendarso said here.

    The explosives found in suicide bombings shared some similarities with those found in a raid in Cilacap district of Central Java days ago, he said. Full story

9 killed in blasts as Jakarta hotels hit by suicide bombings 

 JAKARTA, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian national Police chief General Bambang Hendarso Danuri said that nine people were killed and 55 others were wounded by suicide bombings as two luxurious hotels, Ritz Carlton and JW Marriot, were hit Friday morning.

People run following a blast at the Marriot Hotel in central Jakarta July 17, 2009. Six people were killed in nearly simultaneous explosions at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and the Marriott Hotel in central Jakarta on Friday, Indonesian police said. Jakarta police spokesman Chrysnanda Dwilaksana said he could not confirm if the blasts were caused by bombs. A Jakarta hospital official said 10 people had been brought in for treatment. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    "After investigation on the scene, it has been known two perpetrators of the suicide bombings," Hendarso told a press conference at the site of the bombings. Full story

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