Indonesian police have all but conceded that they did not kill Noordin Mohammed Top, southeast Asia's most wanted man, in a raid in central Java last week.

Police believe that Nordin, who is being hunted over twin hotel blasts in Jakarta, is hiding in central Java, where he has a small but strong support base.

But one member of JI, which is fighting for an Islamic state across southeast Asia, told Al Jazeera that he had a loyal network that would protect him because of his value to their struggle.

Step Vaessen reports.