UK defense chief: Don't let 2 British IS suspects return

Secretary of State for Defense Gavin Williamson of the United Kingdom (right) . Photo / AP

The fate of two of the Isis 'Beatles' is being debated in the UK.

Britain's Defence Secretary says two captured Isis (Islamic State) extremists who grew up in England should never be allowed to return from Syria.

Gavin Williamson's comments in the Sun newspaper come amid reports that Britain has already stripped El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Amon Kotey of their citizenship, opening the door for them to be sent to Guantanamo Bay or another prison outside of the UK.

"I don't think they should ever set foot in this country again," Williamson said. "They turned their back on Britain, our values and everything we stand for — they are the worst of the worst."

Elsheikh and Kotey are alleged to have been part of the four-man Isis cell dubbed "The Beatles" because of their British accents.

The most notorious member of the group was Mohammed Emwazi, the masked insurgent known as Jihadi John who appeared in several videos that showed the beheading of Western hostages.

Tobias Ellwood, a defence minister whose brother was killed in a 2002 terror attack in Bali, called for the men to be tried by an international war crimes court.

He told the Times: "Given the scale of foreign fighters, we should consider an agreed international process involving The Hague, which ensures terrorists from any origin are transparently and fairly held to account for their actions."

The American-backed Syrian Democratic Forces captured the two men last month.

- AP