A former hostage revealed the feared trio, based in IS stronghold Raqqa, are nicknamed “The Beatles” because they are so well known in jihadist circles. John was said to be the main rebel negotiator during talks earlier this year to release 11 IS hostages who were later released after ransom demands were met.
Language expert Professor Paul Kerswill, from the University of York, said he believed the man spoke in “multicultural London English”. Prof Kerswill said: “He probably has a foreign language background but it sounds like multicultural London English, which is people from all kinds of backgrounds who mix in the East End, a new kind of cockney.”
“John” became the most wanted man in the world yesterday Wednesday as SAS troops, along with the UK’s intelligence services, MI5 and MI6, joined forces with America’s security agencies to launch a manhunt for the gloating killer.
They were joined by Brit spy centre GCHQ as they scoured every detail of the sick execution film. Last night several UK-raised jihadists went online to threaten more atrocities against the West. Khadijah Dare, from south London, who now lives in Syria, even boasted she would become the first British female to behead a British or US target and Up to 500 British are thought to have joined the terror group.
The extremist, who once showed off pictures of her four-year-old son holding a gun, tweeted: “UK must b shaking up haha.”
He said the beheading was “shocking and depraved”. The PM added: “Let me condemn the barbaric and brutal act that has taken place and let’s be clear what this act is, it is an act of murder, and murder without any justification.
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the UK would oppose IS “with every breath in thier body”. He added: “Our intelligence services will be looking very carefully on both sides of the Atlantic at this video to establish its authenticity, to try to identify the individual concerned and then we will work together to try to locate him.”
The killer warned President Obama that American air strikes against IS had to stop or a second hostage named as US journalist Steven Joel Soltoff would be next. At the end of the beheading video, Mr Soltoff was held by the scruff of his neck in an orange jump suit. The police yesterday warned every that downloading or spreading the video could breach terror laws.
As the fallout from the brutal killing continues, the US has confirmed that it recently attempted to rescue Foley and several other hostages. The mission was authorized after intelligence agencies believed they had identified the location in Syria where the hostages were being held. However, none of them were found and special operations troops were caught up in a firefight with IS militants before departing.
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