Toby Antony By

Express News Service

KOCHI: The NIA probe into the Islamic State (IS)-related case reported from Valapattanam, Kannur has revealed details about more Keralites reportedly fighting for the terrorist group in Syria with their families. The names include one person each from Perumbavoor, Koyilandy and Thamarassery.

A charge sheet filed by NIA before the Kochi court said Shaibu Nihar of Thamarassery, Fajid of Koyilandy and Safeer Rahman of Ponjassery near Perumbavoor were motivated by Thalassery native Hamsa to join IS. The agency said the trio got acquainted with Hamsa while the latter was working in Bahrain. They have not been listed as accused in the case, which is related to the migration of people from Kannur and its suburbs with their families to join IS.

Safeer, who was working in Bahrain, reportedly reached Syria with his family and joined IS. Shaibu, also believed to have been working in Bahrain, decided to join IS in Syria with his wife. Fajid of Koyilandy crossed the border to Syria in January last year with Abdul Manaf and his family.

PFI leader one of the first migrants

The NIA report said one Mohammed Sameer alias Abu Safvan – now believed to have been killed in Syria – was one of the first persons to migrate there with his family and two sons to join IS.

“Sameer was the PFI Valapattanam division president since 2013 and was the immediate successor to Abdul Jaleel who went absconding following the arrest of 21 PFI/SDPI activists in the Narath armed training case. After the declaration of IS in Iraq and Syria by Aboobacker Al Baghdadi in 2014, Hamsa convinced Sameer and Abdul Manaf to migrate from India. Sameer left to Saudi Arabia from Mumbai on December 23, 2015, with his wife, daughter and sons Salmanul Faris and Mohammed Safvan, and then moved to Syria,” the report said. Besides Sameer, Salmanul Faris and Manaf are also believed to be dead.

Motivated by Sameer, Kannur natives Mohammed Sajil, Manaf and Shajahan V K decided to join IS with their families. They, in turn, influenced fellow Kannur natives Midlaj, Rashid and Afsal K to follow the IS ideology.

Exact number unknown: NIA

The persons who moved to Syria with their families and are listed as accused in the case are Muhammad Shajil, Sameer, Salmanul Faris, Mohammad Shabeer, Manaf, Safwan, Suhail KP, Shahanad A V and Thasleen K O P.

“We have information about 20 and more persons, including women and children, who travelled to Syria to join IS. However, the exact number of Keralites who left for Syria cannot be ascertained as many travelled from Gulf countries while working there. It may be around 40-50 persons,” an NIA officer said.

The NIA had, last month, filed a charge sheet against Midlaj, Abdul Razak, Hamsa U K and Abdul Khayum, who were arrested in the case. Rashid, Manauf Rahman and Afsal K had turned approvers.