'Jihadi John' was tracked down because of his beard and the way he walked, documentary reveals

IS executioner ‘Jihadi John’ was tracked down by his beard and the way he walked, a new documentary is set to reveal.

The terrorist, whose real name was Mohammed Emwazi, was hunted down and killed in a missile strike in 2015.

According to a new Channel 4 documentary, set to air on Monday, Emwazi was identified by a drone flying over Raqqa in Syria, Mail Online reported.

The drone sent infrared pictures back to the US and within 15 seconds a missile was launched that killed the ruthless terrorist.

According to Mail Online, Colonel Steve Warren, the Pentagon spokesman at the time, tells the documentary: “Because of the conditions — it was night — we were using infrared.

“You can't see his face but we could sort of see how he moved, the cut of his jib, so to speak. The angle of his beard, these things we could see.”

He said once they were convinced it was Emwazi, the command was given and a missile “obliterated” him within 15 seconds.

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Emwazi had been under surveillance by MI5 but disappeared in 2012.

He re-emerged in 2014 as the killer of US journalist James Foley and was dubbed ‘Jihadi John’.

Up until his death, drones had reportedly been searching for Emwazi for a year but he avoided being killed by surrounding himself with women and children and moving in crowded areas.

General Richard Barrons, former Commander Joint Forces Command, told MailOnline Emwazi had been identified quickly after appearing in execution videos but finding him was miuch harder.

“The tracking was all done electronically but eventually, it was his beard and the way he walked that gave him away,” he said.

The documentary, The Hunt for Jihadi John, airs on Channel 4 on Monday, May 20 at 9pm.