Two Reuters TV journalists missing in Syria

Beirut-based producer Ayat Basma and cameraman Ezzat Baltaji had been expected to cross into Lebanon by road, where they had arranged for a taxi to pick them up from the border, at approximately 1830 GMT on Saturday. The last known contact was at 1722 GMT, when Baltaji sent a telephone message to a colleague in Beirut in which he said: “We will leave now.”

Basma and Baltaji, both Lebanese nationals, travelled to Syria on Thursday afternoon to cover mass protests against President Bashar al-Assad. They have been unreachable by telephone since Saturday night.

Editor-in-chief Stephen Adler said: “Reuters is deeply concerned about our two Reuters television colleagues who went missing in Syria on Saturday. We have reached out to the relevant authorities in Syria and have asked for their help in securing our colleagues’ safe return home.”

A Syrian official told Reuters on Sunday that authorities were working on resolving the issue. A senior Reuters editor plans to travel to Damascus to discuss the matter formally with Syrian officials.

Basma, who has gone on reporting assignments in Tunisia, Egypt and Iraq, has been with Reuters since February 2007. Baltaji has worked for the company since April 2008.

On Friday, Syrian authorities expelled correspondent Khaled Yacoub Oweis, saying he had filed “unprofessional and false” coverage of events in Syria. Reuters said it stood by its coverage. ■