A leading British member of the Islamic State group and three other foreign militants have been killed in US-led airstrikes in the Syrian town of Raqqa, monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said yesterday.
A US official said earlier that a strike in the area probably killed the Briton known as “Jihadi John,” who appeared in videos showing the killings of American and British hostages.
“A car carrying four foreign Islamic State leaders, including one British jihadi, was hit by US airstrikes right after the governorate building in Raqqa city,” said Rami Abdulrahman, director of the UK-based observatory.
Photo: AFP
“All the sources there are saying that the body of an important British jihadi is lying in the hospital of Raqqa. All the sources are saying it is of Jihadi John, but I cannot confirm it personally,” Abdulrahman said.
Washington officials said the US carried out an airstrike in Syria on Thursday targeting the militant, who has been identified as Mohammed Emwazi, a British citizen.
The Pentagon said it was still assessing the effectiveness of the strike in the Syrian city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic State.
Dressed entirely in black, a balaclava covering all but his eyes and the bridge of his nose, Jihadi John became a menacing symbol of Islamic State brutality and one of the world’s most wanted men.
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