Suspected ISIS recruit returns to India

A Mumbai youth Arif Majeed, one of four youths who had gone to Iraq and is a suspected Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) recruit, has returned to India.

According to media reports, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) team reached Mumbai airport from Turkey this morning with Arif, who had escaped to the country from Iraq.

Arif's relative Iftiqar Khan confirmed the development saying it was good news for the family that he had returned.

"We are happy that our son has returned back home. We cannot express our happiness but his father Dr. Ajaz Majeed, was not sure that his son has come back, so it is difficult to confirm because I have not had word with any official," said Khan.

Yesterday, another Indian national Harjit Masih also escaped captivity after being held by ISIS militants.

Earlier on Friday, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had confirmed that Harjit was under the government's protection.

Swaraj had further stated that reports aired by a television channel, which suggested that the 40 Indians who went missing in Iraq in June had been killed by ISIS militants, were untrue and unfounded.

She also assured that the government is actively involved in locating the missing Indians, however admitting that there was no proof of whether the missing Indians were dead or alive.

Around 40 Indian nationals, who were employed by a construction company in Baghdad were kidnapped after Iraq's second largest city, Mosul, fell to the ISIS.