26/02/2015

Identity Of 'Jihadi John' Revealed

"Jihadi John", the moniker given to an Islamic State militant seen in a number of beheading videos, has been named as Mohammed Emwazi.

According to a report by the BBC, UK security forces have known the identity of the Kuwaiti-born British man, who is understood to be aged in his mid-20s and from West London.

Emwazi has appeared in videos appearing to behead Western hostages.

He is believed to have beheaded American journalist James Foley last August, and to also have been involved in videos of the beheadings of US journalist Steven Sotloff, British aid worker David Haines, British taxi driver Alan Henning, and American aid worker Abdul-Rahman Kassig, also known as Peter.

In each video, Emwazi appears in black robes and a black balaclava.

British police declined to comment on the reports.

Commander Richard Walton, head of the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command, said: "We have previously asked media outlets not to speculate about the details of our investigation on the basis that life is at risk.

"We are not going to confirm the identity of anyone at this stage or give an update on the progress of this live counter-terrorism investigation."

(MH/JP)

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