Two Americans journalists missing in Lebanon
BEIRUT (Agencies)
Two young American journalists on vacation have gone missing in Lebanon for the past week after checking out of their hotel, prompting the U.S. embassy in Beirut to appeal for information on their whereabouts.
A Lebanese official said the pair arrived in Lebanon on September 29 and checked out of their Beirut hotel the following day and left for Byblos and the northern city of Tripoli.
Someone withdrew money with Luck's credit card from an ATM machine in Beirut on October 1, the official said.
The two missing were identified as Holli Chmela, 27, and Taylor Luck, 23. They both arrived from Amman for vacation in Lebanon and were due back in Jordan for work on Oct. 4.
Al-Akbhar newspaper had quoted a security source saying that the two were journalists who worked for the Amman-based Jordan Times English newspaper.
"The families ... are asking for the public's assistance in providing information on the possible whereabouts of the two U.S. citizens," the embassy said in a statement posted on its website.
"The U.S. embassy is working with the Lebanese Internal Security Force (ISF) and the surete generale (security services) to pursue further leads in this investigation.
The U.S. embassy last week warned citizens of a security threat in Lebanon in the first half of October, linking the heightened risk to the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Hale had also raised worries over Islamist militancy in north Lebanon during talks with Lebanese leaders over the weekend.
A U.S. diplomatic car was targeted by a bomb in January in an attack which killed three Beirut residents.
Tripoli has been the scene of clashes recently between Lebanese army troops and Sunni militants. In the last two months, the Lebanese army has been targeted twice by bombs there, in which 14 soldiers and eight civilians were killed.