8 IS sympathizers from Kerala booked: NIA

New Delhi  :  A case under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act was filed on Friday against eight men from Kerala for allegedly sympathising with banned terror group IS, the NIA said.

National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials here said that a case was registered against Shaibu Nihar, Mansoor, Fajid, (all residents of Kozhikode), Muhadis, Manzoor and Ashraf Moulavi (all residents of Malappuram), Shahnad of Kannur and Safeer of Ernakulam in the state, following a Union Home Ministry direction issued on Thursday. 

According to the NIA officials, the counter-terror probe agency took over the case from the Kerala Police which had last year booked the eight people for allegedly joining the IS. "They were travelling or preparing to travel from Bahrain to Syria for joining the terror group," an official added.