15 Kerala Youth Feared To Have Joined ISIS

Thiruvananthapuram : After the terror attack at a cafe in Dacca, Bangladesh, intelligence agencies warned of ’Islamic State’ (ISIS) plans of similar attacks in India.

Few days ago news surfaced of some youths from Kerala having joined ISIS. Reports claim 15 young men falling prey to the extremist propaganda have gone to the Middle East. Their families have not heard or seen them for the past one month, raising fears of them having joined the ISIS.

All are well educated and include a doctor couple. A few of them reportedly contacted their family on whatsapp informing that they will not return and of having joined the ISIS ranks to fight US for its attacks on Muslims.

The veracity of these messages are still to be confirmed, bu,t the families suspect that they may have been radicalised and approached their local political representatives for assistance. The Kerala Government, taking serious cognizance, declared this a matter of gravest concern and ordered a high level police investigation. The Central intelligence agencies were also informed.

It is claimed that earlier too few young men from Kerala tried to join the ISIS. Youths from different parts of India, including Maharashtra, have been getting influenced by the propaganda and attempting to join the Islamic State.

In the past, the Security Agencies have often been successful in preventing the youth from joining the extremists,but, the spread of ISIS messages and propaganda, particularly, over the internet is severe and hindering the work of the Security Agencies. ISIS influence in India appears to be growing prompting fears of terror attacks within the country. In the past two years, the Indian security agencies have arrested many ISIS sympathisers and foiled their terror plans.