Conflict over finding an American journalist who has been missing in Syria for 12 years news

There have been conflicting reports about finding someone believed to be American journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared in Syria for more than 12 years. While Syrian media outlets confirmed this news on Thursday, other outlets denied it.

Activists broadcast a video clip showing a Syrian citizen finding an American man in the Al-Dhiabiyah area in the Damascus countryside, who is likely to be journalist Austin Tice.

Is this American journalist Austin Tice?
The rebels found him barefoot in an area in Damascus that was controlled by Iranian militias pic.twitter.com/0bRVSsbGnj

– Qutaiba Yassin (@k7ybnd99) December 12, 2024

But Syrian sources denied that the foreigner, who was found in the Damascus countryside, is not the American journalist Austin Tice.

The sources said, in a statement to “Syria TV”, affiliated with the new authorities in Syria, that “the person who was found in the Damascus countryside is of American nationality, from the state of Missouri, and it is likely that
He was detained in the prisons of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.” She added that the person who was found in the Damascus countryside was named Travis.

CBS confirmed what Syria TV reported, saying that an American citizen had been found, identifying himself as Travis Timmerman, born in Missouri.

Tice appeared, in a video clip published weeks after his disappearance, blindfolded and in the grip of armed men, and there has been no news of him since then.

The American journalist disappeared while covering the media near the Syrian capital, Damascus, in August 2012, and Washington at the time accused the regime of ousted President Bashar al-Assad of being responsible for his arrest.

The Assad regime denied detaining the American journalist, while the American President confirmed it Joe Biden In his statement in August 2022, the journalist was detained in Damascus, calling for his return to his country.

He said at the time – in a press statement – that his country was certain that “Tice is being held by the Syrian regime.”

He added: “On the tenth anniversary of his kidnapping, I call on Syria to end this and help us bring him home. There is no higher priority in my administration than the recovery and return of Americans held hostage or unjustly detained abroad.”

The US State Department also revealed “direct talks” it held with the dissolved Syrian regime in an attempt to secure the journalist’s release.