30-year-old ISIS recruit from Kerala, fighting for the terror group, has been killed in Syria

An ISIS recruit from Kerala's Kannur district has been killed in Syria, the police said today. Confirming the death of 30-year-old Abdul Manaf, a native of Valapattinam in Kannur in November last year, a senior police official said the news was received by his relatives on January 17 from his friend, who is also in Syria, through Telegram messenger app."The news about the death of Abdul Manaf in a fight in November, 2017 in Syria is correct. It was sent by his friend Kayyum, who is also fighting for ISIS in Syria", Deputy Superintendent of Police PP Sadanandan said.Manaf was a local leader of the Kerala based 'Popular Front India'. He had also worked as the office secretary of the outfit in Delhi for some time before joining ISIS, the police officer said.

Manaf was also involved in the murder of a CPI(M) worker in 2009, the policeman said.Around 15 people from Kerala's Kannur district have joined terrorist outfit ISIS over a period of time. Of them, six, including Manaf, have been killed in Syria while another five were arrested and handed over to the National Investigation Agency or NIA, Mr Sadanandan said, adding, that the remaining four are still in Syria fighting for ISIS.