Britain close to identifying Foley's Killer

The British authorities are close to identifying the Islamic State militant who killed American Journalist James Foley, said British ambassador to United States, Peter Westmacott.

However, Westmacott said he cannot say more regarding the identity of the killer, according to CNN.

Westmacott said intense investigations were on to identify the man  and voice analysis using sophisticated technology was being done.

Based on the militant's voice, linguists had opined that the man was likely from the south-east of England, but most likely from London.

The Islamic State militant, who had killed Foley, has also threatened to kill another US hostage, Steven Sotloff saying that his fate depended  upon Obama's decision on Iraq.

Security services are also zeroing in on home-grown jihadists for identifying the man who killed Foley.

Abdel -Majed Abdel Bary, a British- born 23-year-old rapper is a prime suspect.  Bary left his home a year ago to join the Islamic militants. He had also posted a photo in Twitter holding a severed head,  Daily News reported citing The Sunday Times.  

Bary is one of six children of Abdel Abdul Bary, an Egyptian militant who is facing terrorism charges in the U.S.

The elder Bary is facing charges in connection with al Qaeda's 1998 bombings at the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed 224 people.

His son's songs were featured on the BBC's Radio 1 Extra and his rapping names were L Jinny or Lyricist Jinn Matic, according to Daily News.

In a Facebook posting in July 2013, Bary had said that the unknown mix tape with his bro Tabanacle was the  last music he was releasing and he had left everything for the sake of Allah.

"The lions are coming for you soon you filthy kuffs (infidels). Beheadings in your own backyard soon," goes one of his other tweets, reports Daily News citing The Sunday Times.

However, security officials  declined to comment on media reports that the key suspect was Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary, according to The Guardian.

Ambassador Westmacott also said that the fighter in the video was just one among the hundreds of militants from U.K. who are prepared to kill and die for the Islamic State.

"This problem goes beyond one horrific criminal. As many as 500 British subjects have gone to Syria or Iraq to take part in jihad," reports The Guardian.