Jihadi John Identified: ISIS Militant in Beheading Videos Named

When ISIS released the first of a series of beheading videos in August last year, many were astounded by the fact that the masked executioner in the clip had a British accent. One would assume the black-clad terrorist would have a Middle-Eastern accent, considering ISIS' origins and base.

British intelligence officials then swiftly acted upon this clue and went hunting for the man in the video.

And now, 2 U.S. officials and U.S. congressional sources reportedly confirmed the identity of the masked militant on Thursday, according to CNN.

"The man, the officials said, is Mohammed Emwazi, a Kuwaiti-born Londoner," the news agency said.

However, British authorities refused to confirm his identity just yet.

"Officials from a London-based human rights and Muslim advocacy organization who've interacted with Emwazi said they couldn't be 100% certain it was him," CNN said.

"MI5 does not publicly comment on the identity of militants or their backgrounds while an investigation is still ongoing," Reuters explained. "The British government and police declined to confirm or deny Emwazi's identity, citing an ongoing security investigation."

The Washington Post was the first to reveal the identity of "Jihadi John," who is said to be "a Briton from a well-to-do family who grew up in West London and graduated from college with a degree in computer programming."

"He is believed to have traveled to Syria around 2012 and to have later joined the Islamic State, the group whose barbarity he has come to symbolize," the publication revealed.

One of Emwazi's close friends who helped identify him told Washington Post that he has "no doubt that Mohammed is Jihadi John."

"He was like a brother to me. . . . I am sure it is him," the source added.

The news source also revealed that Emwazi's friends believe he "started to radicalize after a planned safari in Tanzania following his graduation from the University of Westminster."

"Emwazi and two friends - a German convert to Islam named Omar and another man, Abu Talib - never made it on the trip," Washington Post continued. "Once they landed in Dar es Salaam, in May 2009, they were detained by police and held overnight. It's unclear whether the reason for the detention was made clear to the three, but they were eventually deported."

Emwazi then took a flight to Amsterdam, where an MI5 official allegedly accused him of trying to get to Somalia, where al-Shabab, a militant group, is based. Emwazi denied the allegation and said that the MI5 officers tried to recruit him.

Later, upon his return to Britain, Emwazi expressed his anger over what he felt was unfair treatment.

Could this event sparked his desire to take up ISIS' cause?

Meanwhile, MailOnline got hold of early photos of Emwazi, who was said to be the only Muslim pupil in his class at the Church of England school.

"He wasn't so good in school, he was the bottom half of the class, but he was one of the sporty guys. He was popular," said a former classmate.

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