Telangana youth killed in Kashmir was working for IS

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

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

A senior police official said he was radicalized 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 last couple of years on charges of allegedly planning to join IS in Syria and Iraq or recruiting youth for the terror outfit.

--IANS

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