GlobalPost correspondent missing in Libya

BOSTON — Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi have taken four foreign journalists prisoner, including GlobalPost corrrespondent James Foley.

The journalists were reporting on the outskirts of Brega, the key oil town that has been the site of back and forth fighting between the rebel opposition and Gaddafi forces for several weeks. It is believed that they were picked up Tuesday afternoon.

Eyewitnesses said the van that Foley and the other journalists were traveling in had been stopped by an indirect fire strike and that Gaddafi forces took the journalists prisoner and released the driver.

It is believed that the other detained journalists are Clare Morgana Gillis, an American freelance journalist; Manu Brabo, a Spanish photographer; and Anton Hammerl, a South African photographer.

Their location at this time is unknown.

Foley arrived in Benghazi, the opposition stronghold in the eastern part of Libya, in mid-March. He quickly made contact with the opposition leadership in Benghazi and began to document the rebel movement’s fight against Gaddafi and his four decades in power.

Foley followed the rebels from city to city, reporting on who they were and where they came from. He found a ragtag group of mostly volunteers, many of whom were young and had little to no military training. Foley reported that the rebels were diverse — old and young, rich and poor —but that they were united in their motivation to risk their lives in the fight against Gaddafi’s forces.

Before arriving in Libya, Foley reported from Afghanistan for GlobalPost. In his first embed there, he traveled with the U.S. military to the provinces of Nuristan, Nangahar and Kunar.

Here's a sampling of his work from Libya and Afghanistan.

April 4, 2011 — Who are the Libyan rebels?

April 3, 2011 — Wounded Libyan rebels return to Benghazi March 17, 2011 — Rebels brace for fight in Benghazi March 19, 2011 — Benghazi under fire Sept. 17, 2010 — On Location: A firefight in Kunar Province

Read more of James Foley's reporting from Libya:

At the heart of a rebellion, one family fights for survival — and freedom

Without international help, a disorganized and ill-equipped rebellion would have little hope

In Libya, a young rebel army struggles to fight back

Rebels say no-fly zone not enough to stop Gaddafi

Despite string of defeats, rebels remain defiant