James Foley, American Journalist, Held Captive in Syria For Six Weeks, Family Appeals For His Safe Release

American journalist James Foley is no stranger to being held captive in times of war. The 39-year-old reporter from Boston has been held hostage in Syria in the past six weeks, his family announced on Wednesday in a statement.

Foley, who has worked with GlobalPost and the Agence France-Presse, went missing on Thanksgiving Day, his family revealed. According to the statement, Foley was kidnapped by "unidentified gunmen" in northwest Syria, while reporting on the ongoing crisis there.  

"The family appeals for the release of Jim unharmed," the family's statement on the website FreeJamesFoley.org read.

According to the Daily Mail, Foley's family from Rochester, New Hampshire, hoped that keeping silent would aid his release, but decided to go public as concerns over his safety increased. His father, John Foley, said in a statement, "We want Jim to come safely home, or at least we need to speak with him to know he's okay."

"Jim is an objective journalist and we appeal for the release of Jim unharmed," he continued. "To the people who have Jim, please contact us so we can work together toward his release."

Agence France-Press, who had been working with Foley during his time in Syria, quoted their chairman Emmanuel Hoog, who said the organization is doing all it can to secure his freedom.

"We are in constant touch with his family and loved ones, while reaching out to a range of contacts and doing everything we can to facilitate his release," Hoog said. "He is a professional journalist who is absolutely neutral in this conflict."

Hoog added, "His kidnappers, whoever they may be, should free him immediately."

The seasoned war reporter was previously abducted in Libya, while covering the revolution there 20 months ago. According to the Daily Mail, a campaign by his friends and family resulted in his release 45 days after being captured.

The Daily Mail also reported that witnesses in Syria reported that Foley was grabbed at gunpoint along with another reporter, who remains unnamed, in the town of Taftanz. He was reportedly grabbed by four men, who later released his driver and translator, AFP reported. AFP also reported that no group has claimed responsibility for the abduction and that the reason behind his abduction are unclear.

The news of Foley's kidnapping follows just weeks after NBC chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel and his team were kidnapped and later released in Syria. Engel and two of his colleagues were held captive for five days by pro-regime militia in Syria's north before escaping during a firefight at a rebel-held checkpoint.

The Foley family is asking that the public sign an appeal on the website FreeJamesFoley.com to Foley's kidnappers in an attempt to secure his freedom. They have also set up a Facebook page in the campaign to seek his safe return home.