Jihadi John's associate and third IS 'Beatle' identified

An associate of Mohammed Emzawi - aka Jihadi John - and member of the so-called Islamic State group's "Beatles", a nickname given to a group of four IS executioners, has been identified, according to British daily The Telegraph.

The man, named by the newspaper as Allexanda Kotey, was reportedly confirmed by security services as one of four IS guards responsible for beheading up to 27 hostages.

Curiously, Kotey was apparently one of the voluneteers in the Viva Palestine aid convoy to Gaza organised by controverial British former MP George Galloway in 2009.

But a spokesman for Galloway, denying the Respect Party and former Labour politician was acquainted to Kotey, told The Telegraph: "There were 500 people on that convoy and George can't ever remember laying eyes on this guy."

Another volunteer on the 100-vehicle convoy was Munir Farooqi, according to the British newspaper.

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Farooqi was given four life sentences at Manchester Crown Court in 2011 after being found guilty of trying to recruit undercover police officers to fight in Afghanistan.

Kotey, a half-Ghanaian, half-Cypriot Muslim convert, was said to have been a key recruiter for IS, helping radicalise young men in London before travelling to Syria.

A US intelligence official confirmed to The Telegraph that Kotey had travelled to Syria and said his role in the taking of Western hostages was being investigated.

Kotey is allegedly also connected to the "London Boys" – a network of extremists who fomented radical Islam in west London and have been linked to the 7/7 London bombings and the subsequent failed 21/7 plot.

George or Ringo?

The so-called IS Beatles include, in addition to Kotey, Jihadi John and Aine Davis, also from London.

Jihadi John was killed in a US drone strike in November.

In the same month, it was reported that Davis had been detained by Turkish authorities.

The other Beatles, including Kotey, remain among the world's most wanted men.

According to the British newspaper's report, it is not clear whether Kotey is the guard nicknamed "Ringo", who has previously posted online about growing up in West London's Shepherd's Bush area - or "George" - identified by some hostages as a senior figure in the group.

Meanwhile, the identity of the fourth member remains unknown.

However, one of the prime candidates is a west London rapper who once posed with a severed head in Syria, Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary, 25. 

Bary left Syria and is reported to be on the run in Turkey.