Six more youngsters from Kannur join Islamic State in Syria: Kerala Police

The Kerala Police has confirmed that six more youngsters from Kannur have joined the Islamic State in Syria. The police claimed that these youngsters were active workers of the Popular Front of India (PFI) in Kerala.

Earlier on October 25, three men - Mithilaj, Abdul Razzak and Rashid - with suspected links to the IS were arrested by the Valapattinam police. The three had been stopped from proceeding to Syria. Police had been tracking their activities since since they were sent back by authorities in Turkey a few months ago.

Reports suggest that nearly 100 Indians are fighting for Islamic State mainly in Syria and Iraq. Most of these cases have been reported to police by the families of these youths.

In July 2016, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the Assembly that 21 Muslim youths from the state had gone missing over a month, raising suspicions that they had joined the extremist group.