Kochi: The Kerala government on Saturday announced a probe after 15 Keralite youths, who had travelled to the Middle East, reportedly went missing and were suspected to have joined the Islamic State,with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan saying it was a “very serious issue”. The families of the youths, including a couple, from Kasaragod and Palakkad districts have not heard from them for the past one month and fear that they have been radicalised after having gone to the Middle East for religious studies.

The missing youth are below the age of 30 and highly qualified, including medicos. The matter came to the fore with the families of the youths approaching local elected representatives, including an MP, after suspicion that they may have joined the IS. “This is a very serious issue. This has to be examined,” the Chief Minister told reporters in Kochi. While 11 youths hail from Padna and Thrikaripur in the northernmost Kasaragod district, others are from Palakkad district.