Keralite who joined ISIS died in a face off with the Syrian army

New Delhi: A Keralite who reportedly joined the Islamic extremist group ISIS has lost his life during an encounter with the Syrian army.The NIA took up the case on December 16, 2017 after the order of the Home Ministry.According to a UNI report from Kannur, a 30-year-old youth from Kannur, who allegedly joined the dreaded radical outfit Islamic State (IS), was killed in an encounter with Syrian defense force in Syria.

The deceased was identified as Abdul Manaf (30) of Valapattnam, Kannur Police said on Thursday. He was killed during a encounter in November last year.The information about his death was received on January 17 by Manaf's family through his friend Abdul Khayyoom (25), who is also engaged with IS in Syria.Manaf, was a former Popular Front of India (PFI) activist from Kannur, who reached Syria using a fake passport, police said. He was also main accused in the murder of CPI (M) worker Bineesh of Kannur in 2009.

National Investigation Agency (NIA) is probing the case of five people from Kannur who have reportedly joined IS. The five accused, arrested earlier by the Kerala Police, are Midlaj,Abdul Rasak KV, Rashid MV, Manaf Rahman and Hamsa UK.

Manaf was one among them.More than 15 Keralites mostly from Kannur, Kasargode, Palakkad including, Kerala leader Shajeer Mangalassery Abdulla, who joined IS have been killed last year, in drone attacks and encounters in Afghanistan and Syria.(UNI)