UK terrorists known as ‘Beatles’ captured

THE STATE DEPARTMENT, IN IMPOSING SANCTIONS ON KOTEY LAST YEAR, SAID HE LIKELY ENGAGED IN EXECUTIONS AND TORTURE, INCLUDING ELECTRONIC SHOCK

WASHINGTON : The Americanbacked Syrian Democratic Forces captured two notorious British members of an Islamic State insurgent cell commonly dubbed “The Beatles” and known for beheading hostages, U.S. military officials said on Thursday.

Air Force Col John Thomas said that El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Amon Kotey were captured in early January in eastern Syria. The two men are among four members of the IS cell that captured, tortured and beheaded more than two dozen hostages including American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and American aid worker Peter Kassig.

The state department has imposed sanctions on both men. They are believed to be linked to the British terrorist known as Jihadi John, the masked IS militant who appeared in several videos depicting the graphic beheadings of Western hostages. Thomas, a spokesman for US Central Command, said American officials have been able to interrogate the two detainees.

And he characterised their capture as “certainly a big deal for America” as well as the families of the people the two men killed. While the SDF discovered the two and captured them, the US helped with biometric data to accurately identify them. AP