The twin suicide bombings of luxury hotels in Jakarta were "clearly linked" to Malaysian-born extremist Noordin Mohammed Top, one of Asia's most wanted terror suspects, an official said Saturday.

No group has claimed responsibility for the bombings, but the security ministry's anti-terror desk chief, Ansyaad Mbai, told AFP there was strong evidence that Noordin was behind the attacks.

noordin mat top and terrorist faction "There are strong indications that Noordin Top's group is behind the attacks because the bombs were hand-made and the tactic was suicide bombings," he said.

At least nine people including four foreigners were killed and up to 50 others were injured in yesterday's attacks on the JW Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton hotels in downtown Jakarta.

Police said the homemade bombs were identical to those used in previous attacks linked to Noordin, a master bomb-maker and leader of a splinter group of the Jemaah Islamiyah network.

They were also the same as devices discovered at an Islamic boarding school in Central Java last week during a raid on Noordin's suspected hideout, Mbai said.

Noordin's Indonesian wife was reportedly arrested in the raid.

"I can't say the attacks yesterday were an act of retaliation for the recent arrests, but I can say that the police are getting very close to capturing Noordin," Mbai said.

Still capable of sophisticated ops

The former accountant and violent Islamist has been on the run since the 2002 bombings on the resort island of Bali, which killed more than 200 people.

NONE He is accused of being involved in that attack and of masterminding three others in Indonesia - the Jakarta Marriott bombing in 2003, the Australian embassy bombing in 2004 and the bombing of Bali restaurants in 2005.

Mbai said yesterday's carnage proved that Noordin's group was still capable of sophisticated operations despite a major crackdown by Indonesian police on violent extremists over the past decade.

"In the last four years there have been no significant terrorist attacks (in Indonesia) but that doesn't mean the group has stopped," he said.

"There are no significant attacks because the police have managed to foil them but the group is consistently plotting activities and preparing to attack."

Local media in March reported Noordin narrowly evaded capture in East Java after seeking treatment for a liver illness.