HYDERABAD: At least 15 engineering students, including a girl, from Hyderabad, attracted to the idea of fighting alongside ISIS in Iraq and Syria, were tracked down by the Telangana police in West Bengal this week after their parents complained they were missing. Police sources said their investigations have revealed the outreach of the Islamist jihadists in the country was greater than previously thought.The police did not arrest or book any of them, who were brought from West Bengal. Instead, they kept talking to them. As a result, the students gave away more names including of the girl who had said she wanted to join ISIS in Iraq. They had plans to fly to Iraq from Bengal.The ISIS, which has changed its name to Islamic State, wishes to establish a caliphate through jihad. To go global, it has been trying to attract Muslims from across the world to join its so-called jihad.“The jihadist propaganda has been effective in luring youth who were told that the proposed Islamic State could become a reality if youth from different parts of the world joined the fight. They have a vague idea of the Islamic State and its objectives or the operation. They thought they would be fighting against tyrannical rulers and creating a new Islamic state,” a police officer investigating the case said.An undated file image posted on a militant website on Jan 14, 2014 shows ISIL fighters marching in Raqqa, Syria. (AP photo)Cops have identified one student from Karimnagar who was the brains. He had floated the “jihad” idea to his friends through social networking sites. Among those he was able to influence was a relative of former SIMI operative from the city accused in a terror case.The group was in regular touch through code language. As suggested by the Karimnagar boy, the other group members got passports. Some also received money from unidentified sources. The amount sent to them was in the range of about Rs 3.5 lakh.“We spoke to the boys and their parents and counselled them against getting involved with ISIS. But we won’t leave things at that. They’re being probed and we’d like to know who sent them money,” said a cop.