Missing Kerala techie, accused of joining ISIS terror group, is dead?

Kasaragod, Jun 20: Even as Central investigating agencies are closely watching the whereabouts of the missing Keralites suspected to have joined the dreaded Islamic State terror group, a message received here confirmed the killing of one of the missing youths in Afghanistan.

A Telegram app message, purportedly sent by Ashfak Majeed, 27, a native of southern coastal belt of Padanna in Kasaragod district, to an acquaintance of his here confirmed the death of Sajeer Abdulla Mangalassery, a native of Wayanad, who was believed to be the first person to leave Kerala allegedly to join the terrorist group.

Message received

The message carrying the facial image of the deceased person was received on Monday.

Ashfak Majeed, who was among the 21 who disappeared from the state, in similar messages earlier had confirmed the killing of three alleged IS recruits from Kerala, terming them as “shaheed”. However, the message did not specify as to how and when Sajeer Abdulla was killed.

NIT-C graduate

Sajeer, a computer engineering graduate from the National Institute of Technology, Calicut, with outstanding academic track record, was believed to be the first one to join the IS from the State and is widely regarded as the key recruiting agent by vociferously championing the IS fighting against the allied forces.

Sajeer Abdulla and family had shifted to Kozhikode after his father, a KSRTC driver, was posted in the city depot. The message said, “May Allah accept him” but declined to divulge further details.