London Bricklayer Turned First Daesh Executioner Reported Alive in Syria

Following the news of his reported death, British Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed at the time they were in communication with his family. A statement from the FCO said: "Their family have been informed and we are providing consular assistance."

However, according to new reports, al Manasfi has survived the attack and still lives in Syria, married with children.

Ali al Manasfi, a 28-years-old bricklayer from west London, travelled to Syria soon after the conflict began.

In 2013, in what was the first known example of such a killing by a British citizen during the Syrian conflict, the balaclava-wearing al Manasfi was seen shooting a hostage in the back of the head. The video was posted online by a group of British fighters in Syria called Rayat al Tawheed, or "Banner of God" — an affiliate of Daesh*.

The UK government stripped him of his citizenship, but according to al Manasfi's brother, the revocation didn't affect him because "England was history for him."

While still in Britain, al Manasfi was arrested and sent to prison for a violent assault. Upon his release, he has reportedly become friends with Mohammed Emwazi and Alexanda Kotey, who would later become members of the infamous 'Jihadi Beatles' group, so called because of their British accents.

This image made from militant video, which has been verified by SITE Intel Group and is consistent with other AP reporting, shows Mohammed Emwazi , known as "Jihadi John," holding a knife

Emwazi, also known as ‘Jihadi John,' was killed by a US airstrike in November 2015 but Kotey remains alive, his British citizenship revoked just like al Manasfi's, and could face death penalty in the US.

Alexanda Amon Kotey, left, and El Shafee Elsheikh, who were allegedly among four British jihadis who made up a brutal Islamic State cell dubbed "The Beatles," speak during an interview with The Associated Press at a security center in Kobani, Syria, Friday, March 30, 2018.

Speaking about al Manasfi, his brother said in an interview that when the future executioner was planning to leave for Syria, he sent him a message.

"He actually texted me off his English number saying: ‘Love you, bro. Take care, see you soon'. I understood straight away that meant ‘I'm going'. The next day I spoke to my sister and she said ‘Yeah, he didn't come back. He went last night to the mosque and he never came back'. I was like 'whoa'.''

Al Manasfi's brother also added that he Daesh fighter will not be returning to Britain from Syria:

"He knows he's going to live there and die there. Maybe now or twenty, thirty years' time."

*Daesh, also known as ISIS, Islamic State is a terrorist group, banned in Russia