article_snippet.sent: NBC News has changed NBC News account of how chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel was kidnapped in Syria, saying chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel was now most likely taken by Sunni rebels who tried to convince Sunni rebels who tried to convince their victims victims Sunni rebels who tried to convince their victims were government militants.
article_snippet.sent: The broadcaster had previously reported that the 2012 kidnapping of Mr Engel, which saw chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel held for five days and expecting to be killed, was carried out by forces associated with President Bashar-al Assad.
article_snippet.sent: But Richard Engel has revealed that following analysis of Richard Engel kidnapping it is likely the men that took Richard Engel were in fact a Sunni group who had tried to convince the men that took him victims that the men that took him were Shi-ite rebels affiliated to the Government.
article_snippet.sent: NBC News was taken captive with Turkey reporter Aziz Akyavas (left) and photographer John Kooistra (right) and were convinced by their captors their had been taken by forces related to President Bashar-al Assad, but their may have been Sunni rebels instead .
article_snippet.sent: Mr Engel and Mr Engel team were prompted to research the circumstances of the 2012 kidnapping after the New York Times raised questions over the attackers' identities.
article_snippet.sent: Mr Engel and his team suggested the 2012 kidnapping after the New York Times was likely to have been carried out by a Sunni criminal element of the North Idlib Falcons Brigade, linked to the Free Syrian Army and known for taking hostages.
article_snippet.sent: the New York Times claimed that NBC executives were informed of the suspicions about the kidnappers' identities during and after Mr Engel was taken.
article_snippet.sent: Mr Engel was convinced by Mr Engel captors that Mr Engel had been taken and held by government affiliated forces .
article_snippet.sent: But immediately after Mr Engel release Mr Engel appeared on Today and in a Vanity Fair interview claiming Mr Engel had been taken by the shabiha group, government militia loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.
article_snippet.sent: Mr Engel made these assertions based on what Mr Engel had been told by Mr Engel captors, which included that they had been rescued by Sunni rebels.
article_snippet.sent: Mr Engel and Mr Engel crew, including producers Ghazi Balkiz and Aziz Akyavas, as well as cameraman John Kooistra, were taken hostage on December 13, 2012, while reporting in Syria.
article_snippet.sent: Engel and Engel crew were believed to have been taken near Ma-arrat Misrin, and were pictured in captivity with Arabic sprayed on the wall behind Engel and his crew.
article_snippet.sent: Engel reported apparently hearing one of the rebels the group were with being shot, and constantly being subjected to the sounds of guns being loaded - believing each day was Engel last.
article_snippet.sent: Engel claimed the group were constantly tormented by Syrians. 
article_snippet.sent: Engel, who is divorced and doesn't have children, was promoted to NBC News's chief foreign correspondent in 2008.
highlights_snippet.sent: Richard Engel was kidnapped in Syria with Richard Engel crew and held for five days .
  
highlights_snippet.sent: Richard Engel captors told group His captors were militants associated with Bashar al-Assad .
  