Kerala coast on high alert as 15 Islamic State terrorists from Sri Lanka set off to Minicoy island, Lakshadweep in boat

The terrorist have been set off in a white boat to the island and the police were asked to prevent them entering Kerala coast, sources said here on Saturday.

Coastal areas are under strict surveillance and patrolling was intensified at Thrissur and Kozhikode following the intelligence reports.

Fisherman committees were also asked to stand vigil against unnatural activities in the coastal areas.

Sri Lankan witnessed major terrorist attacks on Easter Sunday when eight blasts rocked the Island Nation and left 253 people killed.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the incident. 

Zakir Musa killing:

Meanwhile,  Indian security forces killed country's 'most wanted' terrorist Zakir Musa during an encounter in Tral on Thursday

According to a Swarajya report, a son of an engineer working for the state government, Musa studied in Navodaya Vidyalaya. After completing 12th, he went to study in an engineering college in Punjab, but was radicalised. He dropped out to join the outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.

He later left Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and even declared his allegiance with terrorist group al-Qaeda in 2017.

Body of Musa was handed over to his family members and all roads leading to his native village Noorpora Tral have been sealed to prevent people from adjoining areas to assemble there. Curfew-like restrictions have been imposed in Tral and other parts of Pulwama district to prevent demonstrations.

A defence ministry spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said on Friday that encounter has ended and body of militant Musa besides war-like stores were recovered.

ISIS and Kashmir 'Hind province'

In a major development, terrorist group Islamic State earlier this month declared using the name of "Hind Province" for its operations in Jammu & Kashmir.

SITE Intelligence Group Director Rita Katz tweeted: "#ISIS declares its new "Hind Province" while claiming clashes with Indian forces in Amshipora. Of course, the establishment of a “province” in a region where it has nothing resembling actual governance is absurd, but it should not be written off."

In a statement, SITE said: "Now using the name "Hind Province" for its operations in Jammu & Kashmir, rather than Khorasan Province as it had done in the past, the Islamic State (IS) claimed inflicting casualties among Indian forces in a clash in Amshipora."