The FBI said Thursday it believes it has identified the masked Islamic State of Iraq and Syria militant shown in videotapes of the beheadings of two American journalists and a British aid worker.
Speaking to reporters in Washington, FBI Director James Comey declined to reveal the man’s name or nationality.
The masked British-accented man — nicknamed “Jihadi John” by British media — is seen in all three videos with American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and British aid worker David Haines. It’s unclear whether he actually killed the three men because the executions are not shown in the videos.
Earlier this week, Philip Hammond, the British foreign secretary, claimed British intelligence agencies were “getting warm” in the process of identifying the man.
“We’re beginning to narrow down the field,” he said.
Comey told reporters the FBI was also concerned about the identity of a man speaking with a North American accent on another Islamic State video aimed at recruiting Westerners. The 55-minute video, ‘Flames of War,” promised a “direct confrontation” with the West, including the United States.
This story was first published at 02:08 p.m. and has been updated.
