Engineering graduate from Hyderabad who joined Islamic State dies in Syria

An engineering graduate from Hyderabad, who joined the terror group ISIS, has died "while fighting in Syria," Intelligence sources on Tuesday said quoting his family members.

Mohd Haneef Waseem, 27, had reportedly joined the ISIS in Syria in February this year, they said.

The Telangana Police are in the process of gathering more information about Haneef's alleged links with Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). They are also trying to find out how he could have gone to Syria.

"We are collecting more information and the process in this regard is on," a top Intelligence officer said.

"He (Haneef) completed engineering degree from Hyderabad around four years back. He later went to London where he completed his masters course. In February this year, he left for Syria from London. He seems to have joined the Islamic State in Syria where he died," said the officer.

"How he died we do not know...while fighting or in landmine blast or accidental death, we are not sure, but he died in March and the same was informed to his family members around 10 days back, who stay in Rajendra Nagar here," the officer said, adding that Haneef's family members in turn informed the matter to police.

The family, native of Mancherial town at Adilabad district in Telangana and settled in Hyderabad for past few years, was informed about Haneef's death through an SMS in Arabic language, which they got translated, he said.

Asked about reports that Haneef had taken another youth of Karimnagar district along with him to Syria, the Intelligence officer said, "He was all alone." It appears that he might have joined the IS after getting attracted to it through social media, he said.

To a question about the youth's body, he said, "It seems they (IS) themselves might have buried it." Last year, Hyderabad Police had foiled "attempts" by six youths from the city, including two engineers and a former Google employee, who were allegedly plotting to join the ISIS ranks after getting attracted to the terror group's propaganda on social networking sites.

Besides, a 19-year-old woman from the city who was residing in Qatar and had flown to Turkey, allegedly wanted to join the ISIS but had come back to India in December last year after seeing the conditions there, police had earlier said.