(Representative image)

KANNUR: Another Islamic State (IS) operative from the state engaged in extremist activities, has been killed in Syria , claimed cops .

The youth — Abdul Manaf P P (30) — who hailed from Valapattanam in the district, was killed in November 2017. His friend and another IS recruit from Kannur, Abdul Khayyoom (25), reportedly conveyed the death to Manaf’s family on January 17 from Syria. According to police, nearly 17 IS recruits from the state have been killed while waging the so called holy war in Syria. At least six of them are from Kannur. Cops said Manaf went to Syria using a fake passport and there is a case lodged against him in this connection. He was a close associate of Shahjahan Velluva, another IS operative who was arrested from Delhi a few months ago.

Before leaving for Syria, Manaf had also worked as the office secretary of the Popular Front of India for some time. He was accused in the murder of a CPM worker in 2009. Investigations reveal that nearly 15 out of 29 people, who left for Syria to wage ‘jihad’, reached there through Manaf’s network. Five people with terror links were arrested in October last year, including the main recruiter to the network, UK Hamza alias Biryani Hamza.



In Video: IS recruit from Kerala killed in Syria