The men were allegedly among four British jihadis who made up the ISIL cell nicknamed “The Beatles” by surviving captives because of their English accents. They were captured in early January in eastern Syria by the Kurdish-led, U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces amid the collapse of ISIL. They spoke openly of their membership in the Islamic State group but refused to say what their role was. Elsheikh and Kotey denounced as “illegal” the British government’s decision in February to strip them of citizenship. The decision was widely reported in British media, though officials have not confirmed or denied it, citing privacy rules.

Source: National Post March 30, 2018 16:37 UTC