NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel and his production team are freed after 5 days of captivity in northern Syria. They were captured by what Engel claims were members of the shabiha, a plainclothes militia loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. Rebel forces at a checkpoint freed the men after a firefight that killed 2 of the captors. (NBC News)
A coalition of rebel groups called Seleka take over the Central African Republic mining town of Bria, killing at least 15 government soldiers. The group is spearheaded by UFDR forces and has already taken five towns in its two-week offensive, which it claims is because of a lack of progress after a peace deal ended the 2004–2007 Bush War. Following an appeal for help from PresidentFrançois Bozizé, the President of ChadIdriss Déby sends 20 vehicles of heavily armed troops to help quell the rebellion. (ABC News)(AFP)(Reuters)