One of the Hafiz's relatives had received a WhatsApp message saying that he had become "shaheed" (martyr), a senior police officer told PTI here.
But, there was no official confirmation in this regard, he said.
NIA has been probing the case of the missing of at least 21 youths who had left the state under mysterious circumstances over a period of time and suspected to have joined ISIS.
Among them, 17 were from Kasaragod and four from Palakkad.