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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRichard Engel and NBC News team freed from captors in Syria
NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel and members of his network production team were freed from captors in Syria after a firefight at a checkpoint on Monday, five days after they were taken prisoner, NBC News said early Tuesday.
After being kidnapped and held for five days inside Syria by an unknown group, NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel and his production crew members have been freed unharmed. We are pleased to report they are safely out of the country, the network said in a statement.
The captors were unidentified and were not believed to be loyal to the Assad regime.
Engel, 39, along with other employees the network did not identify, disappeared shortly after crossing into northwest Syria from Turkey on Thursday. The network had not been able to contact them until learning that they had been freed on Monday.
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After entering Syria, Engel and his team were abducted, tossed into the back of a truck and blindfolded before being transported to an unknown location believed to be near the small town of Maarrat Misrin. During their captivity, they were blindfolded and bound, but otherwise not physically harmed, the network said.
Early Monday evening local time, the prisoners were being moved to a new location in a vehicle when their captors ran into a checkpoint manned by members of the Ahrar al-Sham brigade, a Syrian rebel group. There was a confrontation and a firefight ensued. Two of the captors were killed, while an unknown number of others escaped, the network said.
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http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/18/15985279-richard-engel-and-nbc-news-team-freed-from-captors-in-syria?lite
NBC was trying to keep this quiet. They even asked some to delete their info about it.
Glad they are out!
Skittles
(153,170 posts)OMG feels so good to get good news
PCIntern
(25,568 posts)I was really upset by this yesterday. It's a good thing to awaken to.
HappyMe
(20,277 posts)I'm glad they got away.
eShirl
(18,495 posts)I looked but not hard enough, before posting (now self-deleted)
Little Star
(17,055 posts)blogslut
(38,006 posts)I was worried.
The Wielding Truth
(11,415 posts)irisblue
(33,009 posts)Bonobo
(29,257 posts)hlthe2b
(102,320 posts)I'm so glad he's ok.
gkhouston
(21,642 posts)catbyte
(34,414 posts)Sounds like it was pretty harrowing, complete with mock executions. I'm very glad they're all safe.
Greybnk48
(10,168 posts)I'm really happy to hear this!