Almost ten people hailing from Kannur district of Kerala state have left to join the radical Islamist terror outfit, Islamic State, Mathrubhumi has reported.

As per police reports, two families from Poothappara in Azhikode and a man from Kuruva have left the state to join ISIS in Syria or Afghanistan.

The natives from Poothappara identified as Sajid K, his wife along with two children, and Anwar, along with his wife and three children have left Kannur to join the terror outfit.

Anwar’s wife Afseela was the sister-in-law of Shameer, an IS member who was killed earlier. Police says that both the families had left the state on the pretext of going Mysore on 20 November, however, doubts arose when they did not return.

They are believed to have gone to UAE first and subsequently to the IS centre. Since IS centres at Syria are reportedly destroyed, police suspects that they might have moved to the Afghanistan centre.

In July 2016, 21 persons had left Kerala to join IS. The place from where they left is only 50 km from the place from where the current set of 10 persons have left.

At least four of the 21 have been reported killed in IS fight with US forces. Also, some of these were recent converts to Islam from Hinduism and Christianity.

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