JAKARTA: Armed Indonesian police raided a suspected Islamic militant hideout in Central Java early Thursday leaving at least five people dead, witnesses said.

Loud explosions and gunfire were heard coming from a house on the outskirts of the town of Solo, a known militant stronghold, as well as shouts of Allahu Akbar (God is Greater).

An AFP correspondent saw three bodies being brought out of the house after the raid ended just before dawn. Metro TV said five people had been killed in the clash, and one member of the anti-terrorism police injured.

A police source had earlier told AFP the target of the operation was an associate of Malaysian terrorism suspect Noordin Mohammed Top, the leader of an Al-Qaeda-linked group blamed for a string of deadly bombings in Indonesia.

The source said it was possible that Top was also inside the house.