Syria Frees Reuters Journalists

Two journalist who went missing in Syria Saturday night have been released by Syrian authorities. The Beirut-based producer and cameraman work for Reuters television and traveled to Syria Thursday to cover the ongoing protests. An official says they were detained because they were filming "in an area where filming is not permitted," and did not have a work permit. They have now been returned to Lebanon and say they are doing well, Reuters reports.

Two US citizens have also been detained in Syria, the Los Angeles Times notes. One, a man with both Egyptian and American citizenship, was arrested for selling videos and photos of events in the country and for secretly visiting Israel. Another, a 21-year-old studying Arabic in Damascus, was taken into custody during a protest. Reuters also reports that Syrian security forces today fired on hundreds of demonstrators. Click for more on Syria.