Islamic State links of Kannur native suspected

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After Kozhikode native Riyab-ul-Rehman, the intelligence agencies suspect a Kannur couple to have joined the Islamic State.

According to sources, a Dubai-settled Kannur native who had gone to Turkey last year with his wife. But they did not return yet,  and they were suspected to have joined the IS.

Strengthening the suspicion, officials of National Investigation Agency and Intelligence Bureau had traced his past through his family members back home and it was found that he had shown an affinity towards fundamentalist activities right from teenage.

Meanwhile, intelligence sources also said there were reports that a Bangladeshi national too had joined IS along with Riyab-ul-Rehman but was killed in an encounter.

Despite instances of Gulf-based Malayalis being lured into IS, mainly through the social media, the state intelligence sources heave a sigh of relief that there were no direct activities of IS in Kerala to recruit cadres smelt so far.

There were pro-IS materials available in various Indian languages including Tamil. But so far no Malayalam material could not be detected, said sources.

Though there were suggestions to carry out counter propaganda against the IS on social media, intelligence officials feared that it may become counterproductive at this stage as IS's direct campaign in our cyberspace could not be confirmed yet.