Believed to have joined IS, Nimisha aka Fathima, allegedly surrenders before Afghan forces

Bindu said she could identify Nimisha’s husband and daughter from the picture that was shared by an agency after they were rounded up by the Afghan forces.
Fathima Nimisha who went missing with her husband Eeza who were believed to have joined in Islamic State (IS) | EPS Manu R Mavelil
Fathima Nimisha who went missing with her husband Eeza who were believed to have joined in Islamic State (IS) | EPS Manu R Mavelil

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Nimisha, who reportedly had migrated to a territory controlled by the Islamic State militants, is suspected to be among those who surrendered before the Afghan security forces in Nangarhar recently.

Nimisha’s mother Bindu Sampath said her daughter is among those who surrendered. 

Bindu said she could identify Nimisha’s husband and daughter from the picture that was shared by an agency after they were rounded up by the Afghan forces. 

Nimisha, who had converted to Islam and took the name Fathima, left the country with her husband Bexen Vincent in 2016 to an unknown location, which the intelligence agencies strongly suspect was an IS-controlled pocket in Afghanistan.

Nimisha: DGP Behera says no confirmation

Bindu said her granddaughter was sitting on the lap of a veiled woman, who could not be identified.

“I think she was sitting on the lap of my daughter. There were other women in the picture and all of them had covered their faces. So none of them could be identified,” she said.

Regarding Bexen, who was a Christian before converting to Islam as Esa, Bindu said she could identify him at one glance.

But to confirm it, the image was sent to Bexen’s mother, who also identified him, said Bindu.

Meanwhile, state police chief Loknath Behera said there has been no confirmation from any agency about the identity of the people who had turned themselves in before the security agencies in Afghanistan.

“We’ve no official information regarding their identity. Unofficial reports are coming, but they can’t be considered as fact until the agencies inform us officially,” he said.

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