Mohammed Emwazi, AKA Jihadi John, was killed in a U.S. air strike last November. The Islamic State has confirmed the death.
On November 12th, US officials reported that Emwazi had been hit by a drone strike in Al-Raqqah, Syria, and the following day, UK officials stated a “high degree of certainty” that Emwazi had been killed.
On that day, two United States drone aircraft along with a British drone reportedly conducted the airstrike in Al-Raqqah that targeted Emwazi as he left a building and entered a vehicle. A US official called it a “flawless” and “clean hit” with no collateral damage and that Emwazi was “evaporated.” On December 14th 2015, US President Barack Obama stated Emwazi had been “taken out”.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron stated the US and Britain had been working “hand in glove, round the clock” to track Emwazi’s location, and that the drone strike was “an act of self-defence.”
The Jihadi was alleged to be the person seen in several videos produced by the Islamic extremist group ISIL showing the beheadings of a number of captives in 2014 and 2015. A group of his hostages nicknamed him “John” since he was part of a four-person terrorist cell with English accents whom they called “The Beatles”; the press later began calling him “Jihadi John”.
