Amid reports that Kerala is gradually becoming a recruiting ground for extremist outfits, official sources in the state confirmed that the two suspected terrorists killed in a recent encounter in Jammu and Kashmir were from Kerala.
An official communication in this regard from the Army was expected in a day or two, sources in Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan's office said.
As per the information, the suspected terrorists killed in the encounter were identified as Muhammad Fayas from Thayyil near Kannur and Abdul Rahim from Chettipadi in Malappuram district.
The family of the suspected terrorists would be informed about the involvement of the duo in terrorist activities after receipt of an official communication from the Army, the sources said.
Police said it was Muhammad Fayas who made calls to Abdul Jaleel (38), a worker of National Development Front, a Kerala-based Muslim outfit, who was arrested on October 19 for his suspected links with the persons killed in the encounter.
State police and intelligence agencies had stepped up their efforts to ascertain the links of outfits like banned SIMI and Indian Mujahideen with Kerala in the wake of reports that two persons killed in the encounter on October 6-7 were Keralities.
Police sources said investigations revealed that Fayas and Rahim were away from Kerala for a long time and that both have a criminal background.
The Jammu and Kashmir police recovered voter ID cards bearing Kerala addresses from the bodies of the extremists, and sent them to the state police, they said.
At the same time, intelligence agencies have been keeping a close watch on former activists of SIMI and Indian Mujahideen, since they suspect the involvement of activists from Kerala in some terror strikes in different parts of the country.
There were reports that a top IM leader, Subain Khureishi had visited the state a few months back to 'activate' the sympathisers of his outfit and identify potential recruits.
As investigations pointed to inter-connections of outfits like SIMI and IM, the overt and covert activities of frontal outfits floated by them under the guise of cultural or human rights forums are also under the scanner, they said.
BJP seeks apology from CPI-M, Congress
Alleging that fundamental outfits in Kerala were found to be aiding terrorist activities, the BJP demanded that the ruling CPI(M) and opposition Congress tender a public apology for trying to win over Muslim outfits like the National Development Front and People's Democratic Party in the state.
Both the parties should apologies for trying to win over those outfits in the past, BJP State General Secretary M T Ramesh said.
He alleged that leaders of ruling CPI(M) had even shared dais with PDP leader Abdul Naser Mahdhani, while the Congress was often found to be adopting a soft approach on the 'nefarious activities' of NDF and PDP workers despite BJP's stiff opposition.