The British IS militant known as "Jihadi John" died in a drone strike in Syria, Islamic State media has confirmed.

The terror group has published what appears to be an obituary for the fighter - real name Mohammed Emwazi - in its Dabiq magazine, saying he was killed on 12 November in their Syrian stronghold of Raqqa.

The statement backs up US officials who have said they are "99% sure" he was killed in a US strike.

Emwazi appeared in a string of IS videos showing the execution of foreign hostages.

Islamic State said he died "as the car he was in was targeted in a strike by an unmanned drone in the city of Raqqa, destroying the car and killing him instantly".

It described as a "martyr" and prayed to "Allah... to envelop him with His mercy and enter him into the highest levels of al-Firdaws (paradise)".

Emwazi, a British citizen of Arab origin, was referred to by his nickname within the terror group, "Abu Muharib al-Muhajir".

He was first seen, his face covered, in a video in August 2014 which showed the beheading of US journalist James Foley.

He went on to appear in numerous other execution videos, including those in which UK hostages Alan Henning and David Haines were killed. 

He also featured in videos showing the killings of American journalist Steven Sotloff, aid worker Abdul-Rahman Kassig and Japanese journalist Kenji Goto.

Emwazi was born in Kuwait and moved to the UK with his family when was six. He attended state schools, then studied computer science at the University of Westminster before leaving for Syria in 2013.

He and three other IS militants with British accents were nicknamed "the Beatles" by some of their captives.