The BBC said on Thursday it had learned that the "Jihadi John" suspect who has featured in several Islamic State beheading videos is Mohammed Emwazi from London.
Earlier, the Washington Post newspaper had also identified Emwazi, and said he was a Briton from a well-to-do family who grew up in West London and graduated from college with a degree in computer programming.
Police declined to comment on the reports.
"We are not going to confirm the identity of anyone at this stage or give an update on the progress of this live counter- terrorism investigation," said Commander Richard Walton of the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command in a statement.
In videos released by Islamic State (IS), the masked, black-clad militant brandishing a knife and speaking with an English accent appears to have carried out the beheadings of three Americans and two Britons.
The Washington Post said Emwazi was believed to have traveled to Syria around 2012 and to have later joined IS.
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