ALTHOUGH THE MAJORITY of terrorism-related headlines come from the Middle East and other parts of the world, Asia’s got its own violent extremists, too. Here’s a list of the region’s top five militants—terrorists who have spread fear by bombing, gassing, and assassinating, all the way from Japan to Indonesia.

1. Hambali: “The Osama bin Laden of Southeast Asia”

Hambali, an Indonesian whose real name is Riduan Isamuddin, has been variously described as “the Osama bin Laden of Southeast Asia” and Bin Laden’s lieutenant in the region. He is believed to have headed operations for the al-Qaeda-linked Jemmah Islamiyah (JI) in his native land, and he was involved in bombings there and in the Philippines. Most notoriously, JI perpetrated the 2002 Bali nightclub bombing that claimed 202 lives.

Status: Hambali was arrested in central Thailand in 2003 and is now being held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

2. Shoko Asahara: The Man Behind Tokyo’s Sarin Gas Attack

His mug shot was as chilling as his acts were heinous: his tussled hair and scraggly beard; his chin turned up in defiance. This was Shoko Asahara, the man who orchestrated the 1995 sarin gas attack on Tokyo’s subway system. The nerve gas killed 12 commuters and injured 5,500. Born half-blind, Asahara was the leader of the Buddhist cult Aum Shinrikyo, which was later renamed Aleph.

Status: Asahara was convicted of murder and is awaiting execution.

3. Isnilon Totoni Hapilon: Senior Leader of Abu Sayyaf

The Philippines is where al-Qaeda is believed to have first entered Southeast Asia; it was in Manila that authorities say Ramzi Yousef drew up the plans for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. But the country has its own home-grown Islamic terrorist group: Abu Sayyaf, or “father of the swordsman” in Arabic. Based in the southern islands, the group was founded in the early 1990s and has used assassinations, hostage-taking, and bombings in their attempts to form an Islamic state independent of the predominantly Christian Philippines.

Status: Isnilon Totoni Hapilon—a senior Abu Sayyaf operative—is one of the organization’s few remaining leaders who remains at large after battles with the government. The U.S. is offering up to $5 million for his capture.

4. Noordin Mohamed Top: Senior Jemmah Islamiyah bomb maker

The Malaysian-born former accountant and senior Jemmah Islamiyah bomb maker is thought to have been involved in not only the Bali bombing, but in additional attacks in Indonesia. One was the 2003 JW Marriott bombing in Jakarta that killed 12 people. Another was the 2004 bombing of the Australian embassy in Jakarta that killed 9 and wounded 150.

Status: While Top’s influence within JI appears to have waned in recent years, he remains at large and is considered one of the Indonesian government’s top targets.

5. Abu Dujana, Commander of Jemaah Islamiyah

Abu Dujana, thought to be Jemmah Islamiyah’s current leader and military head, was captured this week by Indonesian authorities. A shadowy figure, he was the country’s most wanted terrorist and had undergone training in Afghanistan, where he met with Osama bin Laden. Fluent in Arabic, Dujana used six aliases and could only be identified using fingerprints. Police say Dujana had a hand in many of Indonesia’s recent bombings, which killed more than 240 people in all.

Status: Dujana is in custody in Central Java. •

Newley Purnell is a freelance journalist living in Bangkok, Thailand. His blog is at newley.com.