An American journalist and his Agence France-Presse colleague have been missing in Syria since Nov. 22.

The family of James Foley, of Rochester, N.H., said he was kidnapped in northwest Syria by unknown gunmen on Thanksgiving Day.

Foley, 39, was contributing videos to Agence France-Presse. He and the other journalist were working in the northern province of Idlib when they were kidnapped near the village of Taftanaz.

"We want Jim to come safely home, or at least we need to speak with him to know he's OK," his father, John Foley, said.

Media outlets waited to report on Foley's kidnapping until his family released its statement. The other reporter's family has requested that the name not be made public.

REBELS TARGET MILITARY AIR BASE

Rebels attacked a sprawling air base in northern Syria as the opposition expanded its offensive on military airports in an attempt to sideline a major weapon for President Bashar Assad's forces.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the rebel assault on the Taftanaz base was preceded by heavy shelling of the area, and the fighters appeared to be trying to storm the facility. Syrian army helicopters were helping to defend the airfield. Several past rebel attempts to capture the base have failed.

ASSOCIATED PRESS