Hyderabad: In a significant development, fourteen students, who were en route to Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State (IS), were stopped at Hyderabad airport.

The state as well as central intelligence agencies started verification of students with suspicious links after an engineering student from Hyderabad, who joined IS, died fighting in Syria.

The daily quoted a senior officer as saying: “The police had counselled 11 youths while they were trying to join the Islamic State, after nabbing them at the airport."

The officer added that the youngsters studied at different engineering colleges.

Notably, as per a daily, the Intelligence Bureau has launched `Operation Chakravyuh` to counsel the youth who try to get recruited in the terror group IS. They remain under constant vigil.

On Tuesday, sources said that Mohammed Atif Waseem from Manchriyal in Adilabad district ​had fled to Syria from London where he was doing a Master's degree in engineering.

The 28-year-old died about two weeks ago, according to information received by his family here.

The family, which hails from Manchriyal in Adilabad district and settled in Hyderabad, received an e-mail in Arabic purportedly from the IS on April 24, informing them about Waseem's death in fighting.

The shocked family, which stays in Shastripuram colony, informed the police about the mail two days ago, the sources said.

Police believe that a youth from Karimnagar district was also accompanying Waseem to Syria. Intelligence agencies are trying to gather information about the youth.