Four terrorists from Kerala were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir earlier this month, police said in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday after identities of two more terrorists were established.
'My son deserved the fate he met with'
According to top police sources, two of the dead terrorists have been identified as Abdul Faiz from Kannur and Muhammad Yasir, alias Verghese Joseph of Kochi, who converted to Islam about a year back.
Investigators had earlier established the identities of Mohammad Fayas from Kannur and Abdul Rahim from Malappuram, the other terrorists from Kerala killed in the encounter.
Troops battle IM's Kerala cadre in Kashmir
The identity of the two others was confirmed in a report submitted by a Superintendent of Police in Kerala to Jammu and Kashmir, following reports that all the four killed youths recruited by terrorists were from Kerala.
Police also suspected that one of the terrorists' associate, also hailing from Kerala, might have escaped during the gunbattle.
Tell-tale evidence of Kerala links of the terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir came to light after religious literature in Malayalam was found from the body of those killed.
Subsequent investigations by Kerala police, based on tips from J&K police, confirmed the reports that some extremist outfits saw pockets in Kerala as a fertile ground of recruits to their cause.
The investigations gained momentum after the arrest of one Abdul Jaleel from Kannur last week, who turned out to be a 'link' in a network that recruited youths to join the ranks of terrorists.
Police had found that Jaleel had received calls on his mobile phone from Kashmir on the day the encounter in which Keralites were involved.
Acting on information gathered from Jaleel during questioning, one Faisal, believed to be another vital link in the network was arrested on Saturday.
Though police are yet to reveal which particular outfits had lured activists from Kerala, there are reports that organisations like Lashkar-e-Tayiba had spread their tentacles to Kerala.
