Kerala fast becoming ISIS 'recruitment hub'; many Keralites believed to have joined terror outfit in Syria

Thiruvananthapuram: In the recent times, Kerala has fast emerged as a hot bed of terror-related activities with many having close links with the Syria and Iraq-based global terror outfit Islamic State.

What is certainly an alarming situation for the Indian security agencies, many residents of Kerala are believed to have forged strong links with the ISIS, new agency ANI claimed on Monday.

Though the agency didn't confirm the number of ISIS recruits, it, however, quoted the sources saying that suspects have gone to Syria to join the dreaded terror outfit.

The NIA has been probing cases of at least 21 missing Keralites who had left the state under mysterious circumstances over a period of time and are suspected to have joined the IS.

Among them, 17 were from Kasaragod and four from Palakkad. They include four women and three children.

In 2016, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had informed the State Assembly that 21 people, including children, were missing and this included 17 from Kasargode district and four from Palakkad district.