KANNUR: The Special Investigation Team - probing the IS links of five people who were arrested last week - released photographs of five people who have gone from Kannur to Syria. According to the police, Abdul Khayyum, 25, of Chekkikkulam, Abdul Manaf, 30, of Valapattanam, Shabeer, 33, of Mooppanpara, Suhail, 25, of Valapattanam and Safwan, 18, of Pappinisserry have joined the IS and have been actively involved in the fight against non jihadis in Syria.
The team was able to confirm the role of the five as the result of the ongoing interrogation of the arrested IS operatives.While in Kannur, they were closely associated with the Popular Front of India (PFI), the police said. “They contacted their relatives in Kannur and their connection with the terrorist group has been established beyond doubt,” said P P Sadanandan, DySP of Kannur, leading the investigation under the supervision of SP G Shiva Vikram.
Shabeer met Midhilaj and Abdul Razack - members of Shajahan group - at Istanbul and tried in vain to take them to Syria. Manaf, Shabeer and Suhail went to Syria with fake passports, said the police. All three have also taken their families with them. Of the five, Safwan is the son of Shameer, who was killed in Syria in the battle, the police said.
Last week, the police had released the photographs of five people who were killed in Syria. As the interrogation has only begun, the police is confident they will be able to make considerable progress regarding the uncovering of IS operations in the district. “This is a deep rooted menace. It spreads beyond the borders of Kannur district,” said Sadanandan.