Two British journalists kidnapped for several hours, injured

Reporters Without Borders condemns the abduction for several hours today of two British journalists working for The Times newspaper – reporter Anthony Loyd and photographer Jack Hill – at Tal Rifaat, about 40 km north of the northern city of Aleppo. They were abducted while heading back to the Turkish border after spending several days in Aleppo investigating the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons against the civilian population. After a group of armed individuals intercepted their car, they were taken to a nearby warehouse. Hill tried to escape but was caught. He and Loyd were then beaten and one of the gunmen shot Loyd in the leg to prevent any further escape. The two journalists were eventually rescued by members of a rebel group known as the Islamic Front, and were treated in a Syrian hospital before being escorted to the Turkish border. The Times said Hill identified one of their kidnappers as a man who was supposed to guarantee their safety between Aleppo and the Turkish border. Loyd and Hill have received several prizes for their reporting in Syria including the Amnesty International UK Media Awards. Nine foreign journalists and more than 20 Syrian news providers are currently held hostage or missing in Syria.