Indonesian police are promising almost US$100,000 (RM379,000) for anyone with information leading to the arrest of two Malaysian bomb experts suspected of masterminding blasts in Bali on Oct 1.

The one billion rupiah (US$99,260) bounty was announced as police planned to distribute 600,000 leaflets with photographs of fugitives Azahari Husin and Noordin Mohammad Top and three suicide bombers from the October 1 attacks on the Indonesian resort island.

National chief police detective Makbul Padmanegara said police were also offering one million rupiah (US$99.26) in cash to anyone able to identify any of the three suicide bombers.

The heads of the bombers were recovered relatively undamaged at the sites of the blasts which also killed 20 other people.

Splinter group

But their identities remain unknown more than three weeks after the attacks at restaurants in southern Bali, prompting the distribution of the leaflets across the country, including in residential areas, Padmanegara said.

He said he hoped the rewards and leaflets would heighten public awareness of terrorism as well as lead to information about and arrest of the bomb experts.

Officials have said the two Malaysians, leading members of extremist network Jemaah Islamiah (JI), also played key roles in the 2002 Bali blasts which killed 202 people, and in deadly suicide attacks at a Jakarta hotel and the Australian embassy.

An expert on JI has said both men could be creating their own group after splitting from JI's mainstream command structure, which is concerned about heavy Muslim casualties from the bombings.