Malappuram: An Edappal native who had joined the Islamic State has been killed in Afghanistan, said a message received by the relatives. Muhammad Muhsin was killed in a drone attack by the US. Mathrubhumi News reported that the relatives received a WhatsApp message in this regard.

The message also warned of possible adverse aftereffects for the family if this was informed to police or any other investigation agencies.

However, on receiving confidential information in this regard, National Investigation Agency officials reached Malappuram and conducted probe. But the family hid the information.

Muhsin, who joined IS in October 2017, was involved in terrorist activities at Khorasan Province in Afghanistan along with another I commander. According to the information, both were killed on July 18.

In 2017, while he was a final year student in an Engineering college in Thrissur, Muhsin had left home saying he was going to Bengaluru. Police, acting on a missing complaint from his relatives, had registered a case, conducted a probe and found that he had left for Dubai.

The Intelligence Bureau had also probed his disappearance.

According to the relatives, the IB had visted them and informed them that Muhsin had joined the Islamic State (IS).

With the report of his death coming in, police in Malapppuram once again began the probe.

Two years ago, a missing man from Kasaragod in Kerala, who was suspected to have joined Islamic State, was killed in a drone strike in Afghanistan.

Murshid Muhammed, a native of Padna in Kerala's Kasargod district, was killed in a drone attack in Nangarhar province in Afghanistan.

He was among the 21 people from the state, who reportedly went missing after travelling to the Middle East and were suspected to have joined the IS in Syria.

Earlier, another man T K Hafeesudeen, 24, also from Padna, was killed in a drone attack in Afghanistan.

As per the information received by NIA, around 40 youths have joined IS recently from India. Out of the 98 who had joined earlier, 38 have been killed. Natives of Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Thrissur and Ernakulam are presently working in ISIS, as per NIA sources.