NIA on the alert as Afghanis make 'friends' in Kerala over Whatsapp

The WhatsApp group is operated out of Afghanistan and is connecting with the youth of Kerala NIA believes that the group has been formed to lure more youths to IS in Afghanistan 

The National Investigation Agency probing suspected IS links in Kerala have landed up with a WhatsApp group that is being operated from Afghanistan. This group is mainly communicating with the people from Kasargod. Following this development, the agency visited Kasargod and questioned the members of the group. 

As per the NIA statement, the group was formed by a Kasargod resident Abdul Rashid who led 21 persons in Afghanistan. An NIA officer said, "We have examined a few witnesses at Kasargod and extracted messages as part of the investigation into the IS case being probed by our team. Abdul Rashid started the group using the mobile number taken from Afghanistan and added his acquaintances in Kerala. His family members have identified the Afghan number used by him."

The NIA believes that the group has been formed to attract more youths to the IS. The topic of discussion in the group pertained to the lives of those who migrated from Kerala to Afghanistan, which was a way of luring people to the IS. One officer said, "It might be part of Dawah work assigned by the people handling them in Afghanistan. It is possible the group was formed to seek clarification about the conditions and virtues of life in IS after reports of US MOAB attack at IS held territory in Afghanistan."

The NIA, however, has not registered a case separately and has decided to include the leads in the case registered against the 14 persons from Kasargod who migrated to Afghanistan.