Five from Kerala killed while fighting for Islamic State in Syria, report says

Kozhikode: The Kerala Intelligence has received reports of death of five persons from Malabar while fighting for Islamic State in Syria, but the news cannot be authenticated as the information was first received by the victims’ family, an official has said. [caption id=“attachment_3738483” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AP[/caption] “Such news is not authenticated, it is only information. But the reports could be true as they were received by family circles,” a senior officer in the intelligence wing said. He said relatives of one Sibi from Kanjikode in Palakkad district, had received the news of his death a few days ago. Sibi was working in Bahrain before joining the Islamic State in Syria. “Further details could not be known,” the official said. Similar is the case of one Muhadis, reportedly killed in Aleppo in Syria in military operations. His brother who works in Bahrain broke the news of Muhadis’ death to family members at Vaniyambalam in Mallapuram district when he came home about a month ago, the officer said. Abu Tahir from Palakkad district was reportedly killed in US military strikes in Syria in April this year. The intelligence official, however, did not give details of the other two persons reportedly killed in Syria. The official said the earlier deaths of four others from Kasaragod and Kozhikode districts of Kerala at Nangahar in Afghanistan have been confirmed. “But it will be difficult for us to confirm the present deaths of five persons reportedly killed in Syria,” he added.