A veteran Spanish war correspondent has been kidnapped by insurgents in Syria , his newspaper reported Tuesday . The reporter , Marc Marginedas , has been missing since Sept. 4 , the last day that he contacted the newspaper , El Periodico de Catalunya , which is based in Barcelona . The newspaper reported that it appears that Marginedas , 46 , was kidnapped by jihadi combatants near the city of Hama , in western Syria . `` According to various sources , Marginedas was traveling by car with his driver when they were intercepted by jihadi combatants , '' the newspaper said . `` Since then , it has not been possible to contact him . '' No group in Syria has claimed responsibility for his kidnapping , it said . Marginedas has reported from conflict zones in Afghanistan , Iraq , Chechnya , Lebanon , Darfur and Algeria . This was his third trip to Syria since the civil war began there in 2011 , the newspaper said . It is the first time in his long career as a war correspondent that he 's been kidnapped , the newspaper 's communications director , Montserrat Baldoma , said by phone from Barcelona . A dangerous place . An Amnesty International report published this year named Syria as the most dangerous place in the world for journalists . The report highlighted serious abuses committed by government and opposition forces against professional and citizen journalists , both Syrian and international . Marginedas entered Syria on Sept. 1 through Reyhanli , in southern Turkey , accompanied by fighters from the Free Syrian Army , who are trying to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad , the newspaper said . He sent his last story to the paper on September 2 from Qasr ibn Wardan , near Hama , reporting on the disappointment among rebel fighters that a potential U.S. military strike on Syria -- in retaliation for the chemical weapons attack there on August 21 -- seemed to be growing more remote . Baldoma said the newspaper `` waited a prudent time '' before announcing Marginedas ' kidnapping publicly on Tuesday . El Periodico de Catalunya has been working to secure his release , Baldoma said . Earlier this month , a veteran Italian war correspondent was released after being held captive in Syria for several months .
Marc Marginedas has n't been in touch with his newspaper since Sept. 4 . The paper says it appears he was kidnapped by militants in western Syria . No group has claimed responsibility for his kidnapping , the newspaper says . Amnesty International has said Syria is the most dangerous place for journalists .