UK ‘should take back IS Beatles’

BRITAIN should take back Islamic State fighters who have been captured on the battlefield in Syria, a senior US military commander has said.

Major General Patrick Roberson, commander of US special ops, said this included two of the so-called Beatles, El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey.

The men have been stripped of their UK citizenship following suspected involvement in beheadings. He is the first senior US military officer to publicly call on the UK to take back British fighters in a row over who should prosecute them.

At least nine Britons are being held in Syria over their links to IS but the UK Government does not want them to return over fears there is not enough evidence to prosecute them here. It believes there is more chance of a conviction if they face trial in the US.

But asked whether Elsheik and Kotey should be repatriated to the UK instead, Major General Roberson said: ‘We would certainly like them to be.’