terrorists

Mohammed Emwazi, the ISIS militant known as "Jihadi John" — Mohammed Emwazi, the ISIS militant known as “Jihadi John”

ISIS thug Jihadi John was reduced to a “greasy spot on the ground,” by a drone strike in Syria last November, according to a top US military official.

US Colonel Steve Warren says he watched video of the pinpoint attack on the notorious jihadi, whose real name was Mohammed Emwazi.

“We found him when he was talking on the cell phone. And when it was all over, he was a greasy spot on the ground,” Warren told The Daily Mail.

Warren called the strike “the most precise air campaign in the history of warfare.”

Officials elevated Jihadi John to a “terrorist celebrity” after he beheaded numerous hostages including Americans James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

“That is why we put special effort to get him,” Warren said. “We put the same amount of attention we give to senior leaders, but only because of his celebrity status.”

Emwazi was one of a group of terrorists that were given nicknames based on members of The Beatles because they all had British accents.

Meanwhile, Warren said US forces are teaming up with their British counterparts to take back Raqqa, a large Syrian city that ISIS has been using as its main base.

“There is a lot of work that needs to be done,” he said. “It is going to be a significant fight. They are not going to abandon Raqqa easily.”

Hassan Hanafi Haji, who was extradited from Kenya last year on the request of the Somali government, was killed by firing squad at a police academy in Mogadishu on Monday. Firing squad is the only execution method in Somalia.

In his role as a liaison officer with al-Shabab, Haji was known to threaten journalists and radio stations for any reporting not in favor of the Islamic extremist rebels, forcing many media outlets to practice self-censorship for security reasons. Haji later led al-Shabab’s media unit, inviting journalists to press conferences and giving them tours of battlefields.

He often urged journalists to report according to al-Shabab’s media rules, which included avoiding stories related to the group’s military setbacks.

Journalist-turned-Islamist Hassan Hanafi Haji is tied to a post before being executed by firing squad at a police academy square in Mogadishu, Somalia, on April 11.

Haji was one of the few suspects prosecuted by the Somali government following years of criticism by rights groups who urged authorities to do more to establish the rule of law and end the killings of journalists.

The killings of media workers often happened in government-controlled areas that journalists generally consider safe.

Somalia is one of the most dangerous countries for media workers. At least 18 Somali journalists were killed last year, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

It’s not entirely clear who has been killing journalists. Al-Shabab rebels, warlords, criminals, and even government agents all could have reasons to see journalists killed in Somalia.

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