The Lebanese Syndicate of Photographers issued a statement on Sunday condemning the disappearance of two Lebanese Reuters journalists who went missing Saturday night in Syria after they were supposed to have returned to Beirut that same evening

The syndicate added that their fate is unknown and urged President Michel Suleiman and his Syrian counterpart, Bashar al-Assad, to intervene in the case.

Reuters reported earlier that Beirut-based producer Ayat Basma and cameraman Ezzat Baltaji had been expected to cross into Lebanon by road at approximately 1830 GMT (2:30 p.m. ET) on Saturday, where they had arranged for a taxi to pick them up from the border.