The Islamic State’s executioner with an English accent was targeted by a U.S. drone strike in Syria, and while there was no official word on the outcome, multiple news outlets reported that he was almost certainly killed.
Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook told reporters Thursday night that “U.S. forces conducted an airstrike in Raqqa, Syria, on Nov. 12, 2015 targeting Mohamed Emwazi, also known as ’Jihadi John.’”
While Mr. Cook said the outcome of the strike was uncertain, a U.S. official speaking to ABC News on condition of anonymity said it was an unqualified success.
“Emwazi, was ’eviscerated’ as he left a building in Raqqa, Syria, and entered a vehicle. The official called it a ’clean hit’ with no collateral damage,” said the report by Brian Ross, James Gordon Meek and Luis Martinez.
According to Fox News, a senior U.S. official said “we are 99 percent sure we got him.” The drone “had been tracking Emwazi for most of the day Thursday while he met with other people,” Fox reported.
The Kuwait-born and London-raised Emwazi has appeared in several gory execution videos made by the Islamic State.
Before cutting off the heads of the still-living hostages and showing their decapitated bodies on camera, Emwazi inevitably looks into the camera, and denounces the U.S. and Britain and blames its leaders for the bloody act to follow.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
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