As many as 16 young Muslims went missing from Kerala over the past one month and some of them may have sent messages to their parents that they have joined the Islamic State, sources said on Saturday.
Most of them were from the districts of Kasaragod and Palakkad and sources said the group included seven couples and two children.
Security agencies suspect they may joined the terrorist outfit Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria.
PTI quoted Kasaragod district panchayat member VPP Mustafa as saying they sent messages to their parents on Eid claiming "Divine Rule" and even asked the elders to "join them".
"We are not coming back. Here there is Divine Rule. You also should join us" read one of the messages while the other message said, "We have joined IS to fight US for attacking Muslims", Mustafa said.
The veracity of these messages are yet to be checked.
Most of the missing are well-educated, with reports saying there are doctors and engineers in the group. All of them are from middle class families and had been showing keen interest in religious matters since the last two years, Mustafa said.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed "grave concern" over the news and ordered the state police to launch a probe into the matter.
Hakim, father of one of the missing men Hafesuddin from Kasaragod, told television channels that his son had left a month ago and there was no news from him.
If he returns as a good man, I will welcome him. If not, I do not want to see even his dead body," Hakim said.
While 11 hail from Padna and Thrikaripur in the northernmost Kasaragod district of Kerala, others are from Palakkad district.
Abdul Rasheed, an engineering graduate, had left home with his wife and a two-year old daughter, stating that they were going to Mumbai for a job.
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