Third Kerala man who joined Islamic State in Afghanistan killed in US attack
Another Kerala man, who had joined the Islamic State in Afghanistan last year, is believed to have been killed in a US air strike.
Another Kerala man, who had allegedly fled the country to join the Islamic State in Afghanistan last year, is believed to have been killed in a US air strike.
According to information received in Kasargode, Yahya alias Bastian, who was in his late 20s, is reported to have been killed in Afghanistan, said the Kerala Police's intelligence wing.
Yahya's family members got a message last night about his death on Telegram, a social media application, said BCA Rahiman, a social worker.
The sender of the message, Asfak, said Yahya was "martyred" in the US attack.
"He was killed while fighting the US forces," the message read. It, however, does not specify as to when he was killed.
Palakkad Special Branch police could not confirm the news but made a mention of the message.
The information was received on the mobile of a relative of another person who was part of a group now in Afghanistan, a top intelligence official was quoted as saying by IANS.
Yahiya alias Bastian along with his wife, his brother and his wife, who have all been reported missing, hail from Palakkad and had converted to Islam.
Yahya was among the 21 people from the state who had reportedly gone missing after travelling to the Middle East last year and were suspected to have joined the terrorist organisation in Syria.
With this death, this is the third Keralite who left the state last year and reached Afghanistan to be killed.
Early this month, Muhammed, said to be in his 20s, was reported to have been killed along with 36 Daesh militants who were killed after the US struck the terror group's position in eastern Afghanistan with a massive GBU-43 bomb, also known as the "mother of all bombs".
In February this year, information reached the relatives of 26-year-old Hafeesudin that he had been killed in a drone attack.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan last year had informed the state assembly that 21 people, including children, were missing - 17 persons from Kasargode district and four from Palakkad.
(With agencies)