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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Jihadists in Syria release two journalists captured a week ago | Jihadists in Syria release two journalists captured a week ago |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Two journalists who were kidnapped in northern Syria have been released after being held for just over a week by foreign jihadists who wanted to trade them for ransom after accusing them of spying. | Two journalists who were kidnapped in northern Syria have been released after being held for just over a week by foreign jihadists who wanted to trade them for ransom after accusing them of spying. |
| The two men, both freelance photographers, John Cantlie, a Briton, and Jeroen Oerlemans, from the Netherlands, were captured on 19 July by a group of men they identified as jihadists who had travel to Syria to join the uprising against the embattled regime of Bashar al-Assad. | The two men, both freelance photographers, John Cantlie, a Briton, and Jeroen Oerlemans, from the Netherlands, were captured on 19 July by a group of men they identified as jihadists who had travel to Syria to join the uprising against the embattled regime of Bashar al-Assad. |
| In an interview with NOS Netherlands, a Dutch television station, Oerlemans, said he and Cantlie stumbled upon the jihadist camp after being led across the Turkish border by a Syrian guide. Both men were shot when they tried to escape. Oerlemans has recovered from a gunshot wound to his left thigh. | In an interview with NOS Netherlands, a Dutch television station, Oerlemans, said he and Cantlie stumbled upon the jihadist camp after being led across the Turkish border by a Syrian guide. Both men were shot when they tried to escape. Oerlemans has recovered from a gunshot wound to his left thigh. |
| The jihadist group is believed to have arrived in the area only days earlier and is believed to be made up solely of men who identify with a salafist jihadist world view, a more puritanical version of Islam. | The jihadist group is believed to have arrived in the area only days earlier and is believed to be made up solely of men who identify with a salafist jihadist world view, a more puritanical version of Islam. |
| "There wasn't a Syrian present," Oerlemans said. "They were all youngsters from other countries, African countries, Chechnya. They said they thought we were CIA agents. But then it quickly became apparent they wanted to trade us for ransom. | "There wasn't a Syrian present," Oerlemans said. "They were all youngsters from other countries, African countries, Chechnya. They said they thought we were CIA agents. But then it quickly became apparent they wanted to trade us for ransom. |
| "We thought we had figured out a good escape route and thought we had found a quiet moment when almost nobody in the camp was paying attention to us. But they saw us almost right away running, and immediately the bullets were flying and the big chase had begun. And ten minutes later we were laying in our blood. | "We thought we had figured out a good escape route and thought we had found a quiet moment when almost nobody in the camp was paying attention to us. But they saw us almost right away running, and immediately the bullets were flying and the big chase had begun. And ten minutes later we were laying in our blood. |
| Oerlemans told NOS that a Free Syria Army group, which is trying to overthrow Assad, had entered the camp on Thursday night and demanded they be released. | Oerlemans told NOS that a Free Syria Army group, which is trying to overthrow Assad, had entered the camp on Thursday night and demanded they be released. |
| "There was a moment that we thought we would be disappeared, disappear from the radar screen, that they would take us to a place where no one would ever find us again. Like a place outside Syria, maybe Iraq, or to be handed over to another armed group. Just at that moment, a group of armed men came into the camp. We were blindfolded and bound, trying to wash our clothes at the time. | "There was a moment that we thought we would be disappeared, disappear from the radar screen, that they would take us to a place where no one would ever find us again. Like a place outside Syria, maybe Iraq, or to be handed over to another armed group. Just at that moment, a group of armed men came into the camp. We were blindfolded and bound, trying to wash our clothes at the time. |
| "They stormed into our tent and started dressing down everyone: why the hell we were being kept there, how long we had been kept there, why we were being treated this way. | "They stormed into our tent and started dressing down everyone: why the hell we were being kept there, how long we had been kept there, why we were being treated this way. |
| "They were FSA, FSA soldiers. I don't know which faction. They managed to intimidate the youth in the camp enough that they could take us out of the camp. Five minutes later they took us out of the camp while shooting (in the air I think). | "They were FSA, FSA soldiers. I don't know which faction. They managed to intimidate the youth in the camp enough that they could take us out of the camp. Five minutes later they took us out of the camp while shooting (in the air I think). |
| "Where the FSA seems to be fighting for democracy, these foreign fighters don't want anything more than imposing sharia on Syria. Syrians are pretty moderate Muslims in general, but they want to put them under the heavy boot of sharia law." | "Where the FSA seems to be fighting for democracy, these foreign fighters don't want anything more than imposing sharia on Syria. Syrians are pretty moderate Muslims in general, but they want to put them under the heavy boot of sharia law." |
| Syrian forces are continuing to rally on the outskirts of the country's most populous city, with rebel groups claiming they will stand their ground in what looms as the most decisive battle so far of the Syrian uprising. | Syrian forces are continuing to rally on the outskirts of the country's most populous city, with rebel groups claiming they will stand their ground in what looms as the most decisive battle so far of the Syrian uprising. |
| Tanks columns have been streaming from nearby Idlib towards Aleppo to reinforce infantry units being sent from the capital, Damascus. However, the armoured columns have come under repeated attack from guerrilla units using roadside bombs. Rebel leaders contacted by the Guardian estimate that around 20 tanks or other armoured vehicles have been hit in ambushes during the past 48 hours. They claim many tanks have been destroyed. | Tanks columns have been streaming from nearby Idlib towards Aleppo to reinforce infantry units being sent from the capital, Damascus. However, the armoured columns have come under repeated attack from guerrilla units using roadside bombs. Rebel leaders contacted by the Guardian estimate that around 20 tanks or other armoured vehicles have been hit in ambushes during the past 48 hours. They claim many tanks have been destroyed. |
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