Jihadi John Dead: ISIS Confirms The Death Of Dreaded Terrorist Seen In Execution Videos

Jihadi John, the man seen in several ISIS videos executing foreign prisoners, has died. The confirmation comes in the latest issue of ISIS’ official magazine Dabiq in which the Islamic State confirms that Jihadi John died on November 12 during an unmanned drone attack on his car, reports Russia Today.

Here is the actual text of the announcement.

“On Thursday, the 29th of Muharram, 1437, Abu Muharib finally achieved shahadah for the cause of Allah, which he had sought for so long, as the car he was in was targeted in a strike by an unmanned drone in the city of ar-Raqqah, destroying the car and killing him instantly.”

The announcement also clearly refers to Abu Muharib as the same man the world knew as Jihadi John in another piece, which seems to be an eulogy to John.

In case there was any doubt, new issue of Dabiq (ISIS mag) confirms #JihadiJohn was killed in drone strike. pic.twitter.com/nHfTcOfQBS

— Brian Ries (@moneyries) January 19, 2016

“Abu Muharib al-Muhajir, the mujahid who made headlines around the world as “Jihadi John” was originally from the northeast the Arabian Peninsula”

The article goes on to reveal that the mother of Jihadi John was from Yemen and how he was disillusioned with his life in London where he and his family moved to at a young age. According to intelligence reports, Jihadi John arrived in the UK in 1993 and was enrolled at the St. Mary Magdalene Church of England primary school in Maida Vale, West London, where he was the only Muslim student in his class. He had five siblings and was known to be regular attendee at a local mosque.

After being radicalized, ISIS claims that Jihadi John has managed to deceive British intelligence officials on several occasions as he made his way to Kuwait from London. In fact, Jihadi John was even detained by UK’s MI5 once – but was released after he presented himself as “unintelligent” and got away “right under the nose of the much-overrated MI5 British intelligence agency.” the ISIS article claimed.

The magazine also praises Jihadi John for his extreme brutality.

“His harshness towards the kuffar (disbelievers) was manifested through deeds that enraged all the nations, religions, and factions of kufr, the entire world bearing witness to this,” an excerpt from an article about him read.

Jihadi John was also known as Mohammed Emwazi. John was featured on several ISIS beheading videos including the ones that showed the killing U.S. journalists Steven Sotloff and James Foley, U.S. aid worker Peter Kassig, British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning, and Japanese journalist Kenji Goto. He became famous because of his suave British accent in which he spoke English.

The confirmation of Jihadi John’s death comes months after Army Col. Steve Warren, a U.S. military spokesman, had claimed that the U.S. Military was “reasonable certain” of John being killed in a drone strike. Another U.S. military official had said that Jihadi John was targeted by three drones – two U.S. and one British and it was one of the U.S. drones that fired a Hellfire missile that hit the car in which he was traveling.

Incidentally, jihadi John was killed just a day before ISIS carried out the deadly attacks in Paris, which left 130 people dead.

When told about Jihadi John’s death the mother of slain journalist Steven Sotloff said she is happy her child’s killer is dead. She told the Associated Press the following.

“It’s good. I’m glad that he’s gone, but it doesn’t bring back my son.”

Consistent with ISIS’ revelations, Jihadi John was known to be extremely brutal with several of his former hostages, describing him as a psychopath who would explain in detail to them how their beheadings would be carried out. He seemed to have enjoyed threatening his captives.

This aspect of Jihadi John’s behavior was revealed by Spanish journalist Javier Espinosa, who was held by the IS in Syria for more than six months after his abduction in September 2013.

[Image Via The Independent]