US takes custody of two British ISIS detainees from Kurdish-ruled Syria

The handout images the ISIS jihadists provided by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Pic/AFP

Washington DC: The US military has taken the custody of two high profile British detainees notorious for their roles in an Islamic State cell known as "Beatles". The duo, who has been accused of torturing and killing Western hostages, was removed from wartime prison in northern Syria run by a Kurdish-led militia, reported The New York Times citing US officials.

The abrupt move comes after Turkey launched an offensive in Northern Syria. Ankara has been targeting the key American-backed Kurds--known as Syrian Democratic Forces. Kurds have acted as the key allies of the United States in the fight against the Islamic State in Syria.

The two British men, El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey, were part of a four-member British cell that ISIS put in charge of Western hostages, who nicknamed them the "Beatles" because of their accents. Along with the Beatles, the military is taking custody of roughly forty Islamic State terrorists that were detained in Syria, reported Sputnik.

The United States along with other countries have deplored Turkey's action that will further plunge the region into crises. US President Donald Trump threatened to devastate Ankara's economy if its operation wipes out the Kurdish population in Syria.

"I will wipe out his economy if that happens," Trump replied when asked if he was concerned Erdogan who will wipe out the Kurds. "I've already done it once with Pastor Brunson," Trump said, referring to US sanctions slapped on Turkey over the detention of a US citizen. "I hope that he will act rationally," he added.

The bipartisan United States Senators have proposed a bill that called for a broad range of sanctions against Turkey including visa restrictions on Turkish senior officials in the wake of Ankara's offensive on the northern Syrian border.

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