The Isis-linked Kerala journalist from Palakkad had contacted his friends and relatives in July, according to the latest reports from the South Indian state.

The journalist, who was a reporter in a Malayalam daily, joined the Islamic State last year, according to the state intelligence department. The investigation started after a tip-off was received from central agencies.

The friends and relatives of the journalist have now been put under the scanner, with the investigators initiating a strict vigil on social media platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter, according to Manorama Online.

The youth was reportedly attracted to Islamist terrorist organisations ever since he finished schooling. He was a Sociology graduate and later worked as a reporter in Palakkad in a Malayalam newspaper.

Later, he asked for a transfer in order to work for the Gulf edition of the same daily. However, after working in Dubai for a while, he left for Syria to join the Islamist militant outfit.

Though earlier reports claimed that the youth joined the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra front, recent reports have confirmed that he joined the Raqqa-based Islamic State.

Thirteen Indian nationals have reportedly joined the Islamic State over the last one year, of which six were killed, while seven are still fighting with the militant outfit.