IS recruit from Kerala killed in Afghanistan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A youth from Kerala, who allegedly joined the Islamic State (IS), was killed in Afghanistan, said a message received by an activist in Padanna in north Kerala on Monday.

It was reportedly sent by another youth who was among the 21 who disappeared from the state last June.

The message received by BC Rehman, an activist and author, said that 32-year-old Sajeer Mangalaserry got killed in an attack in Afghanistan. The message, sent by Ashfaq Majeed on the Telegram App, also carried his photo. Sajeer has become ‘shaheed’ and Allah knows the best,” the message in Malayalam read.

If the information has to be believed, he is the fourth to get killed in Afghanistan. Earlier, relatives received the information in similar manner about the death of three others — Hafisudddn, Mursheed Muhamed and Bestin Vincent alias Yahya — all in the 25-30 age group.

Earlier, there were also reports that Sajeer was killed in the ‘Mother of all Bombs’ attack carried out by the US forces on April 13.

It is not immediately known whether he succumbed to injuries received in the US bombing or was killed in a fresh offensive.

From the National Institute of Technology Kozhikode, Sajeer was believed to have drawn into Jihadi politics when he was working in the UAE. The son of a driver of the state public transport, Sajeer was studious in his school and college days.

Most relatives of the missing youths have disowned them for bringing disrepute to the state and community.

Initially, some of them sent messages to the missing youths through the Telegram app, asking them to come back home; but now they say that they have lost all hopes.

Last year, 21 persons had gone missing from the state, sending shockwaves across the country. Most of the missing are well educated and hail from respectable upper-middle class families.