Family of missing journalist Austin Tice feel 'sense of hope' after fall of Syrian regime

US President Joe Biden said on Sunday he believes Austin is alive, but they must pinpoint his location in the war-torn country, as ITV News' Global Security Editor Rohit Kachroo reports

The family of American journalist Austin Tice has told ITV News they felt an "overwhelming sense of hope" and "opportunity" following the collapse of the Syrian government.

Austin is one of the longest-held American hostages in Syria, thought to have been taken captive near to Damascus on 14 August 2012 while he was covering the country's civil war.

Austin's sister Megan Tice Malone said: "To watch people who have been held for so long being freed and being reunited, we feel an overwhelming sense of joy for those families, and so incredibly hopeful more than ever before, that that will be our story very soon".

Following the fall of the Assad regime earlier this week, thousands of people have been freed from military prison.

Speaking at the White House, US President Biden said on Sunday that he believes Austin is alive, but they must pinpoint his location in the war-torn country.

Megan told ITV News that his family "never had any doubt" that Austin is alive. She said: "We do know that he is alive. We know that he is ready to come home to us".

She added: "We have been on many roller coaster rides for hopeful moments, although our hope has always remained constant. I feel that there have been various points where we been on the edge of our seats waiting for that phone call."

When asked what their families' message is to President Biden and President elect Donald Trump, Austin's brother Simone Malone said: "Our message for both is the same, which is we appreciate that you have remained steadfast in your commitment to bring Austin home safely, and we ask that you continue to do everything that you can and use all available resources to bring him home to us."

Megan Tice had a similar message for Syrian rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani.

She said: "Austin is a human. He has a brother, he has a son. He is an uncle. He is not a pawn in a political playbook. We're begging anyone that can have the authority to reunite us as a family to take the opportunity to do that".

In the interview, Megan recalled being the first person that Austin told about going to Syria.

She said: "He told me that he was going to Syria, and he needed me to help him tell mum that he was going. And initially, I said, absolutely not."

She added: "He just said, I have to go. Nobody is telling the stories of what is happening in Syria. No one knows. And if anyone has the skillset to survive and tell these stories, it's me. So I think about that every day."

Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning.

Have you heard The Trapped? Listen as Daniel Hewitt exposes the UK's dirty secret.