REUTERS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY PART OF THE CONTENT OF THIS VIDEO, WHICH HAS BEEN OBTAINED FROM A SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE
A vehicle stops in an unknown location, carrying a man believed to be American journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared in Syria in August.
The footage, which cannot be independently verified by Reuters, surfaced on Monday (October 1) and appeared to show the blindfolded 31-year-old being led by an armed group.
The U.S. State Department said they couldn't confirm it was Tice in the video.
A spokesperson said the authorities believe Tice is being held by the Syrian government.
SOUNDBITE: STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN VICTORIA NULAND, SAYING (English):
"I don't have anything further to what I said yesterday, where I certainly raised the possibility that it could have been staged for purposes of the regime exculpating itself. Frankly, we just don't know. We don't know if it was him. We don't know what -- but we continue to believe, based on the limited information that we have, that he is in regime custody."
Tice's parents released a statement regarding the video, saying it was "comforting" to know their son was alive.
