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A REPORTER AND a photographer for The Times are recovering in Turkey after being double-crossed, kidnapped, shot and beaten while covering the Syrian conflict, the British newspaper said.
Writer Anthony Loyd and photographer Jack Hill, who have both won awards for their coverage of conflicts including Syria, were seized with their guide as they were returning to Turkey after several days in Aleppo, which has been severely damaged by three years of fighting.
Loyd was shot twice in the leg while being held captive and both men suffered severe beatings after Hill and the guide tried to escape, the newspaper said.
It reported that they were eventually freed under the orders of a local rebel commander, and managed to cross the border into Turkey on Wednesday after receiving treatment in a Syrian hospital.
Loyd and Hill had spent several days in Aleppo, the second largest city in Syria and the site of some of the fiercest fighting between rebels and government forces.
They were around ten miles from the border with Turkey when their vehicle was forced to the side of the road by two cars, according to a front-page report in The Times.
Loyd was hooded and tied up and put in the back seat of a car, while Hill and the guide were put in the boot before being driven to a warehouse in the town of Tall Rifat.
Hill and the guide managed to break out and overpower their main captor. The guide escaped but Hill was recaptured and beaten, and Loyd was shot to stop him trying to leave, the newspaper said.
The story, which did not contain any direct quotes from the reporters, said that Hill identified their kidnappers as the men entrusted with their safe passage to the border.
A commander from the Islamic Front, a coalition of rebel groups, turned up to the warehouse and demanded the hostages be released, the newspaper said.
They were later reunited with their guide and all three men crossed into Turkey on Wednesday evening, it said.
Reporters Without Borders says Syria is the most dangerous place in the world for journalists, with more than 150 killed since the conflict began in March 2011.
Earlier this month, the NGO said nine foreign journalists and more than 20 Syrian news providers were being held hostage or missing in Syria.
It said an additional 40 Syrian journalists or bloggers were being held by the government.
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I always have immense admiration for the frontline journalists and photographers who go I to the most dangerous if places in order to tell the world the stories of the people caught in in the conflict. Putting a face to war is a dangerous business and I am glad these men got out alive.
Those lads earn their crust reporting on the front line! True journalists, risking their lives to give the rest of us the truth!
I’m not sure if the truth is what you will get from the Times.More likely whatever ‘truth’ best serves Rupert Murdoch’s interests.
Inappropriate in this case infidel.
Cosmological: If European Infidel’s comment is inappropriate because these two men are recovering from violent torture… then it is very inappropriate to go to a war zone and profit from telling stories about it.
But, I think his comment is appropriate. And I think war coverage, in general, is appropriate too.
Kardia, that seems fair comment to me and I’m certainly no fan of RM.
Ghastly, you wouldn’t get me anywhere near Syria. Takes some guts to disseminate what’s going on there to the rest of the world.
The Times has been warmongering for Western intervention on behalf of these so-called Rebel head chopping, heart eating zombies.Maybe this incident will make it reconsider that stance.
Both sides are just as bad as each other and both commit crimes which should never happen. Try to keep at least a little impartial.
I am impartial.But a victory for the Rebels would spell doom for Christian,Alawite,Druze and moderate Sunni.There is only one side that wishes for Syria to return to the 7th century.
In my opinion the Rebels/Al Qaeda are on a whole different level of Barbarism in comparison to the Assad regime.
Jason you can hardly speak of impartiality.You have been cheerleading the Rebel cause since the early days of this conflict .
There is a difference….One side is backed by a supposedly civilised Western Government but in fact are worse than savages
“In my opinion the Rebels/Al Qaeda are on a whole different level of Barbarism in comparison to the Assad regime.”
Dropping barrels filled with explosives on populated areas, shelling suburbs with heavy artillery and using tanks against unarmed protesters isn’t barbaric to you? Not to mention the repeated allegations of chemical warfare. Also regime forces have been behind many other actions similar to what the rebels did to these journalists.
“There is a difference….One side is backed by a supposedly civilised Western Government but in fact are worse than savages”
Who supports the regime then? It couldn’t possibly be nations with amazing track records such as Iran, China and Russia could it?
Jason speaking of Al Qaeda (American’s Manufactured Boogyman Terropr group) .
This is interesting…. This same “terrorist” seems to crop up all the time in Western mainstream Media news reports…..
You ignore the main thrust of my argument,which is what a rebel victory would mean for the people of Syria.
‘Not to mention the repeated allegations of chemical warfare’ Repeated allegations of this type have also been made against the Rebels/Al Qaeda.
Jason what are the Syrian army supposed to do,when rebel/Al Qaeda forces use built up areas for cover?They don’t have access to Western style smart weapons.It’s a war it’s horrific.There’s babarism on both sides.But only one side has engaged in eating dead enemies hearts.Only one side has engaged in crucifixions.Only one side has engaged in hacking it’s enemies heads off.Only one side has engaged in suicide bombings.
Only one side wishes to return Syria to the Seventh century.
European Infidel, the “Murdoch runs the world” pub talk is so jaded and wearisome. We now live in a world where we can pick and chose articles and genres from whatever sources we want. Read those who we think are good journalists and ignore the hacks who are just towing a line for Murdoch, Desmond, the Quatari Royal Family or for whoever and whatever.
If you knew anything about Anthony Loyd’s journalism (and the very high standard of foreign correspondents that have worked for the Times, recently with Hala Jaber, Christina Lamb and the late Marie Colvin – as well as down through the years) you’d realise how little relevance your comments have here.
I’m no Murdoch champion. Have read read Loyd’s first book though. Great read. Great writer. And mad as a brush.
Oh, and beheadings are increasingly common on both sides in Syria now. Liveleak yourself til the cows come home.
Very well written Eoin and though Rupert doesn’t run the world he still has undue influence over the media.
Beheadings on both sides Eoin? Really?
“[Journalist] Ahmed Assaad Al-Shahab was executed by government forces when they took his village, in Homs province, on 15 January. They beheaded him and then suspended his body from a tree.”
http://en.rsf.org/syria-abduction-of-journalists-becoming-29-01-2013,43965.html
Joe Corleone, it’s certainly not as widely reported, and probably not as flagrant as the rebel extremists, but have heard it in a few other reports like the one above, and it’d be naive to think that the one here is an isolated incident.
Hmm that’s very sketchy to say the least, no links to reports and so little information, in fact if it was the case the mainstream media would be all over that one you can be sure of it, and do post more links, because tbh your claim is spurious.
Firstly, a Google search of the various “regime/government beheadings etc.” won’t even find the previous link I posted. Which proves that claiming things are spurious because there’s “no links to reports and so little information” is a very flawed way of getting to the truth.
Secondly, I made the point that it’d be naive to think that it is an isolated incident, but you’d prefer to use the barometer of search engine results for the most under-reported war in modern times to say otherwise.
I said there’s beheadings on both sides. You questioned it. I pulled a (reputable) source from the arsehole of my mind and the internet to say there is. You’re still not satisfied. I’d guess nobody knows even a tenth of what’s happening out there, so the argument may well be redundant.
I do take your point re: rebels @European Infidel. However that is not to say people should tolerate the Assad regime just because he happens to be a secular butcher rather than a fundamentalist. Clearly a UN force would be the best option but that won’t happen because of the Russians -any attempt at brokering peace will be prevented by Putin and ultimately this ugly war will continue with civilians (not terrorists) bearing the brunt of the rebel atrocities and government forces butchery. Initially – like in most popular uprisings -there was an opportunity for a moderate opposition (student protesters etc.) to seize control but the longer the conflict went on (thanks to weaponry provided by Putin) -the more the extreme elements took over (this always happens in uprisings from Russia 1917 to today). The rebels are not an united group now a rag-tag bunch of deserters and Al Qaeda nutters -sorry nutters even AQ disown.
@ Jason …. What planet are u on ??? ….I wouldn’t mind visiting it … Providing the come down wasn’t too much :-).
Syria most certainly must be the dangerous place in the world for any journalist with so many US backed head hacking rebels at large.
If you actually read the article, you’ll see that the commander of the group that kidnapped these men ordered their release. It quite obviously wasn’t ordered or condoned by their commanders.
Bad P.R. If he had been a Syrian Christian or Alawite,they probably would have decapitated or crucified him.
Frank, a rebel commander demanded that he be released. The article also states that the Syrian govt have held journalists.
Remember also that the Syrian govt does not want journalists going in to cover this war.
But you see Jason, that is the thing about Frank, he doesn’t read the articles, he just sees the headline, thinks about how this could be connected to the U.S. and then goes on a rant about America. To say that he is obsessed with the U.S. would be an understatement.
Notice when US Backed terrorists pulled out of Homs residents return and the broken city begins to normalise.
Perhaps if Obama pulls his terrorists out of Syria perhaps the country itself could normalise.
Warmongering and terrorist supporter Barack Obama had the audacity to state that Bassar Al Assad was unfit to run the country. Obama himself should be arrested, tried and locked up for international war crimes.
“Notice when US Backed terrorists pulled out of Homs residents return and the broken city begins to normalise.”
That is a non-point Frank. Germans returned to Berlin when Nazi forces were driven out by the Soviets, despite the fact that the Soviets were responsible for such glorious acts as executions, torture, looting and mass rape. People returning after a city ceases to be a warzone has no relevance to their political beliefs.
I See you got rid of the train Frank. Any chance we could have the train back without you
Josh Barton Perhaps this thread would be better without your presence.
Re Declan
Look at the source of the article. How many lies have they told over the past two years, countless. Yet still used as a credible source. Despicable.
Perhaps Frank but every thread would be enhanced by the absence of your anti american vitriol
looks like Dennis Hopper in Apocalypse Now
http://www.film.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/31770817-31770820-large.jpg
I would’ve said Robin Williams … (Que the ‘Redthumb onslaught)
As I wrote in the 9 at 9
” the EUSSR is working behind the scenes to deprive us of the information gathered by Journalists who sometimes risk life and limb to bring it to us. Edmund Burke coined the term 4th Estate for the Free Press and we now see great investigative work being done by ‘bloggers’ [the 5th Estate] and all are uncovering scams and scandals day by day, no wonder they are feared by ‘the Nobility’ and ‘Clergy’
And it is worth a mention that some of the best Journos are women, remember Veronica? Orla Guerin is risking her life in Syria as we read this.
If the “EUSSR” is trying to suppress news of what’s happening in Syria what do you make of the regime’s decision to ban journalists from large swathes of the country?
@ Avina & Jason ….. can you bottle what both of you are on ???? I mean it clearly appears to place you both on other planets …… But what we’d really like to know is the methane that comes out of some your comments .. Does it actually smell ??? Is there strange odours from …….. Well u know ……
What’s up Gary – don’t you like it when someone presents awkward facts?
http://www.thewire.com/global/2011/06/how-media-covering-syrian-refugee-crisis/38827/
https://cpj.org/blog/2012/05/dont-get-your-sources-in-syria-killed.php
Btw, personal insults are a poor substitute for a reasoned argument…
This is what happens when you play Tarzan. Anthony Loyd, a reporter for the Times, was beaten and shot twice in the legs by heroic Obama-supported “rebels” when he tried to escape with his partner in crime, Jack Hill. No visas, huh? Don’t blame the Syrian Army. Blame yourselves. These criminals snuck into Syria to report on the glorious Islamist “Jihad” from Turkey and wound up in Aleppo. On their way back toward Tal Rif’aat, they were taken hostage by heroic terrorists of the Islamist variety and beaten to a pulp. So sad.
What???
So rebels that obama and all are backing and helping are the ones who did this?
They were blessed they were taken by the moderate rebels … Could very easily have met the ones that decapitate and cannibalise … Thankfully that’s wasn’t the case and fair play to their bravery :-).
have your say