‘Jihadi John’ identified by news outlets

The masked English-speaking man who has appeared in beheading videos released by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has been identified as a middle-class British man who was born in Kuwait, according to The Washington Post.

The newspaper identifies him as Mohammed Emwazi, a computer-programming graduate who grew up in London and moved back to Kuwait. After counterterrorism officials started to catch onto his radical leanings, he reportedly left Kuwait to join ISIS in Syria in 2012, during the group’s infancy.

“I have no doubt that Mohammed is Jihadi John,” a close friend of Emwazi told the Post.

“He was like a brother to me. … I am sure it is him.”

BBC News is also identifying the man as Emwazi.

The masked man gained the nickname “Jihadi John” after he appeared in the video of the beheading of American journalist James Foley in August.

He also appeared in numerous other ISIS beheading and propaganda videos.

His appearance sparked an international manhunt and effort to identify the masked man who spoke British-accented English. In September, both FBI Director James Comey and British Prime Minister David Cameron said that their countries had identified him but did not publicly release his name.

The Senate approved a bill to offer a reward for any information leading to the arrest of terrorists who helped murder American citizens. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) is pushing a similar bill in the House.