Jihad basically means to ‘run amok’. Jihadis are (in their mind and according to various passages in the koran etc) doing them a favor by sending them to ‘paradise’ - the sooner they go the better. After all the penultimate goal of Islam is to send everyone to ‘paradise’ - the entire human race.
Using these long winter nights to do some serious reading (original sources) might be a good idea if you wish clarity on the subject.