KOCHI: National Investigation Agency (NIA) and intelligence agencies have started collecting details of 10 Keralites, including women and children associated with Islamic State (IS), who surrendered before security agencies in Afghanistan recently. A team, including officials of various national agencies, has reached Kabul to verify the identity of the surrendered persons. “We have received details of some of the persons who surrendered at Nangarhar Province in Afghanistan.
National Directorate of Security - the Afghan intelligence agency - has shared details about them. We are in the process of verifying their identity. We have made contacts with the persons with the help of the Indian Embassy in Afghanistan. We are also collecting details with the help of their family members in Kerala,” an official with the Ministry of Home Affairs said. According to sources, one of the surrendered woman was named an accused in an IS case.
“However, there are no cases against the other women, who had accompanied their husbands to Afghanistan since 2015. Attempts are being made to bring them back to India,” sources said. Meanwhile, NIA officials in Kochi said they had no information about the surrender of Keralites in Afghanistan. “We are yet to get any concrete information in this regard. We are also looking into the matter with the help of other agencies,” an officer said.