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Missing Americans 'held in Syria' Syria releases American reporters
(about 9 hours later)
The two US journalists who went missing in Lebanon a week ago were detained in Syria on Thursday for illegal entry, the Syrian foreign ministry has said. Two American journalists arrested for entering Syria illegally have been released into US custody, the US state department said.
Holli Chmela, 27, and Taylor Luck, 23, were arrested after trying to cross the border from Lebanon with the help of smugglers, a ministry statement said. Holli Chmela, 27, and Taylor Luck, 23, are now at the US embassy in Damascus and were said to be in "good shape".
They will be handed over to the US embassy in Damascus following the completion of "necessary measures". The pair were detained after trying to cross the border from Lebanon aided by smugglers, Syrian officials said.
A US embassy official confirmed two of its citizens were in Syrian detention. They were reported missing by after they failed to return to Jordan last weekend from a holiday in Lebanon.
Arab media reports said the pair were both in good health Their disappearance had prompted an appeal by the US embassy in BeirutThe US embassy in Beirut said the pair, who have both reportedly worked for the Jordan Times in Amman, travelled to Lebanon on holiday on 29 September from Jordan, and had told a friend on 1 October that they were planning to travel to Tripoli that day.
However, he said diplomats were still trying to confirm their identities.
The US embassy in Beirut said the pair, who have both reportedly worked for the Jordan Times in Amman, travelled to Lebanon on holiday on 29 September from Jordan, and had told a friend on 1 October that they were planning to travel to Tripoli that day.
They were then going to cross by land into Syria before returning - again by land - to Jordan on 4 October.They were then going to cross by land into Syria before returning - again by land - to Jordan on 4 October.
The alarm was raised when they failed to return to Jordan at the weekend as expected. The alarm was raised by their families when they failed to return to Jordan at the weekend as expected.
Their disappearance prompted the US embassy in Beirut to appeal for information on their whereabouts.