Muhammad Ali Shihab was born in Edavannappara, a remote village in Kerala’s Malappuram district. He spent his childhood helping his father sell betel leaves and bamboo baskets in a makeshift pan shop.

The police had called Shihab in twice for questioning but he went into hiding, leading to a manhunt during which six of his supporters were reportedly shot dead during a shootout with police. He ...

He told supporters in a phone call that his failure to return was because he needed to seek God's guidance. About 1,500 police and military personnel had been deployed in and around Jakarta's ...