The last two members of the notorious ISIS cell dubbed ‘The Beatles’ have been captured by a US backed militia in Syria, it has been revealed.
Air Force Col. John Thomas confirmed El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Amon Kotey were captured in early January in eastern Syria.
The ISIS cell, dubbed The Beatles due to their English accents, included Mohammed Emwazi – also known as Jihadi John – who was killed in an airstrike in 2015, and Aine Davis, who was convicted of terror charges in Turkey last year.
All four men grew up in the same area of west London before travelling to Syria to join the terror group, also known as Daesh.
The group are responsible for the capture, torture and beheading of more than two dozen hostages including US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and aid worker Peter Kassig.
Kotey is believed to have served as a guard for the cell, while the US State Department has claimed Elsheikh had “earned a reputation for waterboarding, mock executions, and crucifixions while serving as an Isis jailer”.
Col. Thomas, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said American officials have been able to interrogate the two detainees.
He said their capture was “certainly a big deal for America” as well as for the families of the people the two men killed.
It is currently unclear where the men are being held, however news of their capture comes just days after US President Donald Trump passed legislation to keep open the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba.
During his State of the Union address last month, President Trump revealed he had called on defence secretary James Mattis “to re-examine our military detention policy and to keep open the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay”.
The US figurehead said he expected captured terrorists to be taken to the controversial camp “in many cases”.
He said: “Terrorists who do things like place bombs in civilian hospitals are evil.
“When possible, we have no choice but to annihilate them.
“When necessary, we must be able to detain and question them.
“But we must be clear: terrorists are not merely criminals. They are unlawful enemy combatants.
“And when captured overseas, they should be treated like the terrorists they are.”
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