Telangana youth killed in Kashmir was working for ISIS, says state police

A youth from Telangana, who was killed along with two Kashmiri militants in a gun battle with security forces in the border state last week, was allegedly working for international terror group Islamic State.

26-year-old Mohammad Taufeeq was killed along with two Kashmiri youth in the gunfight on the intervening night of March 11 and 12 at Hakkora in Anantanag district. He was said to be a native of Manuguru in Telangana's Bhadradri Kothagudem district. 

A senior police official said he was radicalised into Islamic State (IS) ideology through social media and went to Kashmir to participate in terrorist activities of IS.

"He was not wanted into any of the criminal cases in Telangana state. Further details are being verified," the official added.

The police statement came amid the claims by the IS and Ansar-ul-Gazwat-ul-Hind, an Al Qaeda franchise in Kashmir, that the third militant, who was killed along with two local militants was a resident of Hyderabad in Telangana.

According to reports, this could be the first time that a militant from outside the state died fighting in Kashmir.

The security agencies have voiced their concern that this could influence more Indian youth to turn to Kashmir for militancy.

About a dozen youth from Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana were arrested by police over the last couple of years on charges of allegedly planning to join IS in Syria and Iraq or recruiting youth for the terror outfit.

In September last year, police detained three persons in Hyderabad, on suspicion of links with the terror group.

The suspects, including two minors, were picked up from Tolichowki area in the city and were being questioned about their alleged links with ISIS.

They were also being questioned about their alleged involvement in a terror plot in Uttar Pradesh.

Earlier in June last year, the city police had arrested 22-year old Konakalla Subramanyam alias Omer for alleged links with Islamic State sympathisers.

He was picked up from a house in Paramount Colony in Hyderabad.

IANS inputs