A Maldivian man has left the country with his mother, wife and 10 year old sister to join a " jihad" or holy war with extremist group Islamic State (IS), local media reported Thursday.

The man named Ahsan Ibrahim, 23, living on the island Raa Meedhoo in the Maldives, had left for Turkey, via Dubai with the three females, local media outlet Haveeru reported.

His father, Ibrahim Ali had grown concerned over lack of news from them after they had left the island to go to capital Male to take his wife to the doctor.

Ibrahim Ali had shared his concerns with police with the help of the Island Council, and it had been found out that his family had already entered Turkey -- a fact confirmed by police.

Police told Haveeru that they had received reports that individuals from Meedhoo had gone for "jihad" and that they were investigating the matter.

Ibrahim Ali, in an interview with Haveeru, said he didn't know his family members' current location, and that his son had called Maldives a "godless land", and said he didn't want to return to the country. "My son texted via Viber and said they were now under the care of IS, and that he wouldn't return back to land of sin,"he said.

The father said he didn't know where Ahsan had taken his wife Aminath Ibrahim, 43, and his daughter -- who had been studying in grade seven. He said that there had been no prior indication they were planning on leaving the country.

Several Maldives citizens over the last few years have been reported as leaving the island to join extremist Muslim organizations around the world, prompting the country's Islamic Ministry to issue a statement against joining jihad. Endi

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