Jihadi John, the masked English-speaking executioner in ISIS terror videos, reportedly has fled the organization, fearing he has fallen out of favor with his Muslim extremist brethern.
Identified earlier this year as Mohammed Emwazi, 26, of London,
according to the Express, the throat-slashing killer is wanted for the deaths of several journalists and aid workers: Stephen Sotloff, James Foley, David Haines, Alan Henning and Peter Kassig.
According to the Express, a source said Emwazi slipped away from Syria "several weeks ago," possibly on his way to North Africa.
The source said ISIS would drop Emwazi "like a stone or worse if they feel he is no longer of any use to them. So it is possible he will end up suffering the same fate as his victims."
Emwazi reportedly feared he would be captured by British or U.S. special forces after he was identified as the person in the execution video.
In February, the
Washington Post said a close friend of Emwazi identified him as the man in the videos showing the beheading of hostages.
"I have no doubt that Mohammed is Jihadi John," the friend told the Post. "He was like a brother to me. . . . I am sure it is him."
Emwazi grew up in West London and earned a degree in computer programming. It's thought he went to Syria about 2012 and later joined the Islamic State.
Asim Qureshi, research director at the British human rights group CAGE who knew Emwazi before he left for Syria, also believed he was Jihadi John.
"There was an extremely strong resemblance," Qureshi told the Post.