Three young men with suspected links to terrorist group Islamic State have been arrested from Kannur on Wednesday.
The youths, who had left the state years ago, hail from Chakkarakkal and Valapattanam in the district and had returned from Turkey recently. The trio was suspected to have visited Syria and reportedly received training from the terror outfit, the police said.
"Three persons, KC Mithilaj, Abdul Razzak and AV Rashid, all in the age group of 25 and 30, were arrested around 3 pm for their links with the ISIS," Sadanandan, deputy superintendent of police, said.
Kerala ISIS recruit, who was presumed dead, messages mother from Afghanistan
The three were reportedly trained by Islamic State in Istanbul and were trying to enter Syria, when they were stopped by the Turkey police. They were then deported to Kerala
"They have been arrested based on evidence obtained after examining their phone calls. Further interrogation is going on," PTI quoted Sadanandan as saying.
Another missing Kerala youth suspected to have joined ISIS
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been probing cases of disappearance of at least 21 youths, who had left the state under mysterious circumstances over a period of time and are suspected to have joined the ISIS.
Among them, 17 were from Kasaragod and four from Palakkad. They include four women and three children.