Mohammed Emwazi a.k.a. “Jihadi John” and three assistants, known collectively as “the Beatles” because of their British accents, shocked the world after he released a video beheading captives on video, including American journalist James Foley. He was later killed and another was captured in Turkey, but two still remained on the run.
It has just been reported that the last two members of “the Beatles”, Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, were captured by Kurdish fighters in Syria according to a report:
Two of the notorious British ISIL fighters who alongside their compatriot Mohammed Emwazi – who was known as Jihadi John – were known as the ‘Beatles’ have reportedly been detained by Syrian Kurdish militia who have been engaged in the mopping up operation along the Euphrates River south to the border with Iraq.
According to the New York Times, the pair, who have been identified as Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, were picked up in mid-January, which was when American officials were informed about their capture.
The men – including a fourth Briton called Aine Davis who is currently being held in a Turkish jail on terrorism charges – were known to fellow ISIL fighters and their captives as the ‘Beatles’ because of their English accents. They were involved in the torture and killing of Western hostages such as American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, plus the British charity worker Alan Henning.
They were infamous for their cruelty – Emwazi appeared in ISIL videos in which it appeared that he personally beheaded hostages. He was killed by an airstrike in Syria in 2015.
All four men were originally from London and travelled to the Middle East in the early 2010s. The pair who appear to have been captured have lengthy crime sheets behind them.
The state department says that Kotey “likely engaged in the group’s executions and exceptionally cruel torture methods, including electronic shock and waterboarding. Kotey has also acted as an ISIL recruiter and is responsible for recruiting several UK nationals to join the terrorist organisation.”
Elsheikh, according to the state department, “was said to have earned a reputation for waterboarding, mock executions and crucifixions while serving as an ISIS jailer.” (source)
The pair were captured by Syrian Democratic Forces who, suspecting their identities, allowed American Special Operations forces access to them. Their identities were confirmed using fingerprints and biometric measures.