Kerala man who joined Islamic State killed in Afghanistan

KOZHIKODE: Hafeesudheen T K, the youth from Padne village in Kasargod district of Kerala, who left the country to join the Islamic State, was killed in a drone attack at an IS-stronghold in Afghanistan on Friday.
The information on Hafeesudheen’s death reached the relatives in Padne on Sunday through a Telegram app message from the account of Ashfaq Majeed, who is a member of the 21-member group that joined the terrorist outfit.
“Hafees was killed by a drone strike yesterday. We consider him to be a Shuhada (martyr) and Allah knows best” said the message received by B C Abdul Rehman, local leader of the IUML and a relative of the slain youth.
“I got the message at 8.30 in the morning, which said the burial of Hafees was over. When I asked about others, Ashfaq said they are all waiting for their turn to become martyrs,” Rehman told TOI. A similar message was received by Hafeesudheen’s mother on Sunday morning
Hafees was one among the 21 persons from Kerala, who left to join the Islamic State. 24-year-old Hafees was in the Gulf before coming to his village three years ago. He was reportedly 'radicalised' by Abul Rasheed Abdulla, who was then working with the Peace International School in Kozhikode. The group had left India in June 2016 and arrived in the IS-controlled Nangarhar province in Afghanistan.

According to Afghan media at least six leaders of the Islamic State were among 47 other militants killed in an air and ground operations carried by the security forces in Haska Meean and Bati Kot districts of eastern Nangarhar province. As many 25 other IS cadres were also wounded in operation, the reports said.
A PK machine gun, one rocket launcher, two AK47, and 4 motorcycles were also confiscated by the Afghan security forces. The report said that the attack was carried out to flush out the foreign mercenaries that joined the IS ranks.
The Kerala police have intimated the relatives of Hafeesudheen that there is no immediate possibility to confirm the news. The Nangarhar province is out of bound even for Afghan government agencies and National Investigation Agency (NIA) has sought the help of Interpol to get the details of the Indians in the IS.
Nangarhar area comes under Khorosan Wilayat (province) of the Islamic State. Abu Backr al-Bagdadi, the self-proclaimed Caliph of the Islamic State, has reportedly appointed a former Taliban leader as the amir of the Wilayat.
The Malayalees who joined the IS have been leading a relatively calm life in a conflict-free zone in Nangarhar area ever since they landed in Afghanistan. Dr Ijaz, one among them group, had informed his relatives that he started a clinic and his brother Shiaz a shop in the area. Relatives were also informed that Rifaila and Fathima Nimisha, the two women who were pregnant when they left India, had their deliveries in Nangarhar.