"Jihadi John" executioner of IE, identified as a Londoner by several media

A mysterious masked executioner appeared on at least seven beheading videos of the Islamic State Group (EI) and nicknamed "Jihadi John" was identified Thursday by several American and British media as a Londoner named Mohammed Emzazi.

A Scotland Yard spokesman declined to confirm the name of the suspect, who was born into a wealthy family of Kuwaiti origin established in the west of the British capital, arguing that "the investigation by the counterterrorism was still ongoing. "

The Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at King's College London, however, said in a statement that identified him "seemed correct."

One British experts jihadist movements, Shiraz Maher, for his part, assured in a tweet: "Yes, that's it. The name came out. "

The man appeared on the macabre propaganda images alongside American hostages, British and Japanese orange jumpsuit, just before their execution, knife in hand, with a British accent uttering threats against governments . He was dressed in black clothes and only his eyes were visible.

According to The Guardian, the suspect is 26 years old and would be holding a software developer's degree. He would have joined Syria in 2012.

The BBC added that it would have been detected by Western intelligence services after consecutive radicalization movement in Tanzania. It was then believed to have come into contact with the Somali group Shebab.

The Washington Post interviewed a relative who identified Emzazi stating: "It was like a brother to me ... I'm sure it's him."

The intelligence services analyze the recordings for months to try to put a name to the voice of one that is among the most sought-fighters EI.

Prime Minister David Cameron confirmed that it was likely a Columbia, but the security services had refused to move forward on its identity, so as not to interfere with the hunt.

Initially, the British media had advanced another patronymic, ensuring that the executioner was a former DJ. Some even announced his death in a bombing.

"Jihadi John" owes its nickname to former Western hostages he was responsible for overseeing, head of a small group called the "Beatles". It appeared for the first time in a video after the execution of the American journalist James Foley, in August 2014. It was on the picture when beheadings of a second American journalist Steven Sotloff, humanitarian worker British David Haines, the taxi driver Manchester Alan Henning, and the American Abdul-Rahman Kassig.

Last month, he was also present on the images at the time of the killing of Japanese hostage Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto.

AFP