Kerala

Terror probe: one more held

KANNUR: One more youth was arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing suspected terror links in the State, on Sunday.

With this arrest, the number of youths arrested from here in connection with the investigation rose to four.

The arrested was identified as Muhammad Nainar (26) of Maidanappally. SIT Deputy Superintendent of Police V.K. Akbar arrested Nainar near the Government Hospital here in the early hours of Sunday, the police said.

According to investigation officials, Nainar, who was accused in a few criminal cases, was a close associate of T. Naseer, a key link in the activities of suspected extremist groups in the State. The police said that Nainar had helped Naseer, who is absconding, conduct classes aimed at instilling extremism among youths.

The SIT had already arrested Abdul Jaleel, C. Faisal and P. Mujeeb, all hailing from here, in connection with the investigation into the suspected activities of extremist operatives in the State. The investigation began in the wake of the disclosure that four youths who had been killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir were Keralites.

The suspected links between Jehadi extremists outside the State and some operatives here started unravelling with the arrest of Abdul Jaleel after he was found to have received phone calls from one of the youths from here slain in an encounter in October last. The police had also arrested Faisal, who was suspected to have a role in recruiting the youths for terrorist outfits, and Mujeeb who had arranged train tickets for Muhammad Fayas and Muhammad Fayees who were among the four killed in the shootout.

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