The death of so-called "Jihadi John" in a drone strike last November has been confirmed by a media outlet associated with Islamic State.

Describing him by his assumed name "Abu Muharib al-Muhajir" and using the Islamic calendar, ISIS' Dabiq magazine said: "On Thursday, the 29th of Muharram, 1437 [November 12, 2015], Abū Muhārib finally achieved shahādah [martyrdom] for the cause of Allah, which he had sought for so long, as the car he was in was targeted in a strike by an unmanned drone in the city of Raqqah, destroying the car and killing him instantly."

Identified as Mohammed Emwazi, the terrorist became one of the world's most wanted men after he was shown in videos decapitating people including US journalists Steven Sotloff and James Foley, aid worker Abdul-Rahman Kassig, British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning and Japanese journalist Kenji Goto.

Goto, a Christian, was captured by militants when he returned to Syria to help find his friend Haruna Yukawa who had been taken earlier. ISIS demanded a $200 million ransom for the pair.

Born in Kuwait in 1988, Emwazi was taken to Britain by his family when he was six years old and graduated in computer programming in London.

The US-British missile strike believed to have killed him was months in the preparation but came together at lightning speed last November as Reaper drones cruised above the Syrian town of Raqqa, according to US officials.

Additional reporting by Reuters.