British ISIS Killer "Jihadi John's" Identity Revealed (Photo)

The man in the black cloth who beheaded several foreign hostages in Islamic State (ISIS) videos has been identified by British security services as Mohammed Emwazi, a British citizen from London.

Known in the news media as “Jihadi John,” he is said to have been born in Kuwait and traveled to Syria in 2012. The story was confirmed by a senior British security official, who said that the British government had identified Mr. Emwazi some time ago but had not disclosed his name for operational reasons.

Mr. Emwazi, 27, grew up in the West London neighborhood of Queen’s Park and graduated from the University of Westminster with a degree in computer programming.



He first showed up in Islamic State videos in August, when he appeared to behead the American journalist James Foley and deliver threats against the West.

Scotland Yard refused to confirm the identification, and the prime minister’s office had no comment.