British ‘Beatles’ terror suspects face US court over deaths of Western hostages

Alexanda Amon Kotey, left, and El Shafee Elsheikh (AP/Hussein Malla)

Two British suspected terrorists are facing court in the US over allegations of “depraved acts” including the beheading of Western hostages.

Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, who are said to have been part of a cell of executioners known as The Beatles because of their British accents, are accused of being involved in a “brutal hostage-taking scheme” that resulted in the deaths of four American citizens, as well as British and Japanese nationals, in Syria, the US Justice Department said.