Al-Qaida-Linked Rebels Kidnap El Mundo Journalists in Syria

A journalist and a photographer have been kidnapped in Syria by rebel fighters with links to the terrorist group Al-Qaida.

Reporter Javier Espinosa and photographer Ricardo Garcia were seized in September by rebels fighting for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Their confinement has been kept secret until now by Spanish title El Mundo because of ongoing negotiations to secure the men's release. ISIL has not released any ransom demands, reported Reuters.

According to the paper, Espinosa and freelancer Garcia were captured near the border with Turkey during an assignment for El Mundo. Both of them are experienced reporters who had covered the conflict from its start in 2011.

EL Mundo did not reveal why it had chosen to release details of the kidnap now.