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| 'Jihadi John': US air strike targets Isis terrorist Mohammed Emwazi | 'Jihadi John': US air strike targets Isis terrorist Mohammed Emwazi |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The US has carried out an airstrike in Syria targeting Mohammed Emwazi, the Isis terrorist and British citizen referred to as “Jihadi John” believed responsible for the beheadings of several hostages in the group’s gruesome propaganda videos. | The US has carried out an airstrike in Syria targeting Mohammed Emwazi, the Isis terrorist and British citizen referred to as “Jihadi John” believed responsible for the beheadings of several hostages in the group’s gruesome propaganda videos. |
| Related: Who is Mohammed Emwazi? From 'lovely boy' to Islamic State killer | Related: Who is Mohammed Emwazi? From 'lovely boy' to Islamic State killer |
| The Pentagon did not say whether Emwazi had been killed in the attack. | The Pentagon did not say whether Emwazi had been killed in the attack. |
| “US forces conducted an airstrike in Raqqa, Syria, on 12 November 2015 targeting Mohamed Emwazi, also known as Jihadi John,” the Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said in a statement. | “US forces conducted an airstrike in Raqqa, Syria, on 12 November 2015 targeting Mohamed Emwazi, also known as Jihadi John,” the Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said in a statement. |
| “Emwazi, a British citizen, participated in the videos showing the murders of US journalists Steven Sotloff and James Foley, American aid worker Abdul-Rahman [Peter] Kassig, British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning, Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, and a number of other hostages. | “Emwazi, a British citizen, participated in the videos showing the murders of US journalists Steven Sotloff and James Foley, American aid worker Abdul-Rahman [Peter] Kassig, British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning, Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, and a number of other hostages. |
| “We are assessing the results of tonight’s operation and will provide additional information as and where appropriate.” | “We are assessing the results of tonight’s operation and will provide additional information as and where appropriate.” |
| A spokeswoman for the UK government said: “We are aware of the US statement about the air strike targeting Mohamed Emwazi. Like them, we are not commenting further at this stage.” | A spokeswoman for the UK government said: “We are aware of the US statement about the air strike targeting Mohamed Emwazi. Like them, we are not commenting further at this stage.” |
| Associated Press quoted an unnamed US official saying that a drone had targeted a vehicle believed to be carrying Emwazi in Raqqa, the de facto capital of Isis in northern Syria. Fox News said a senior US military source said it was “99% sure we got him.” | |
| Activist groups in Raqqa reported airstrikes and an explosion through the night of 12 November. A US military statement said one of eight strikes in Syria on Thursday had struck an Isis tactical unit. | |
| Diane Foley, the mother of James Foley, told ABC News that should Emwazi have been killed in the strike, it would be “really a small solace to us”. | Diane Foley, the mother of James Foley, told ABC News that should Emwazi have been killed in the strike, it would be “really a small solace to us”. |
| “This huge effort to go after the this deranged man filled with hate when they can’t make half that effort to save the hostages while these young Americans were still alive,” she said. | “This huge effort to go after the this deranged man filled with hate when they can’t make half that effort to save the hostages while these young Americans were still alive,” she said. |
| CNN reported that the families of Emwazi’s American victims had been informed of the strike. | CNN reported that the families of Emwazi’s American victims had been informed of the strike. |
| Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, said Tokyo was liaising with Washington over the outcome of today’s air strikes. Suga said the Japanese government was “aware of the Pentagon’s press statement on this matter, and we understand that the Pentagon is assessing the results of the operation. The government of Japan is in contact with the US government about the details”. | |
| Emwazi is believed to have beheaded two Japanese hostages, Goto and security consultant Haruna Yukawa, earlier this year. | |
| Isis had targeted Japanese citizens after the prime minister, Shinzo Abe, publicly pledged $200m in non-military aid to countries engaged in the fight against the group. | |
| Emwazi was born in Kuwait in 1988 and came to the UK in 1994 when he was six years old. His parents reported him missing in August 2013 and were reportedly told by police, four months later, that he was in Syria. | Emwazi was born in Kuwait in 1988 and came to the UK in 1994 when he was six years old. His parents reported him missing in August 2013 and were reportedly told by police, four months later, that he was in Syria. |
| In August 2014, he made his first appearance – with his face covered – in the Islamic State video showing the beheading of Foley. In the following months he featured in similar propaganda films showing the killings of Sotloff, Haines and Henning. | In August 2014, he made his first appearance – with his face covered – in the Islamic State video showing the beheading of Foley. In the following months he featured in similar propaganda films showing the killings of Sotloff, Haines and Henning. |
| In November 2014, Emwazi was believed to have carried out the killing of a Syrian military officer. He was filmed standing over the severed head of Kassig, and two months later appeared in a video killing Goto. | In November 2014, Emwazi was believed to have carried out the killing of a Syrian military officer. He was filmed standing over the severed head of Kassig, and two months later appeared in a video killing Goto. |
| His nickname “Jihadi John” was given to him by a group of hostages, who described him as part of an Isis cell they named “the Beatles” because of their British accents. In February 2015, his identity was confirmed as Mohammed Emwazi. | His nickname “Jihadi John” was given to him by a group of hostages, who described him as part of an Isis cell they named “the Beatles” because of their British accents. In February 2015, his identity was confirmed as Mohammed Emwazi. |
| Spanish journalist Javier Espinosa, who was freed in March 2014 after six months held hostage by Isis in Syria, later wrote in El Mundo of his experiences at Emwazi’s hands. | Spanish journalist Javier Espinosa, who was freed in March 2014 after six months held hostage by Isis in Syria, later wrote in El Mundo of his experiences at Emwazi’s hands. |
| “Jihadi John wanted maximum drama. He had brought along an antique sword of the kind Muslim armies used in the Middle Ages. It was a blade of almost a metre in length with a silver handle.” | “Jihadi John wanted maximum drama. He had brought along an antique sword of the kind Muslim armies used in the Middle Ages. It was a blade of almost a metre in length with a silver handle.” |
| Espinosa said the Isis militant would describe in graphic detail how he would behead his hostages and carried out mock executions with a Glock pistol. | Espinosa said the Isis militant would describe in graphic detail how he would behead his hostages and carried out mock executions with a Glock pistol. |