Richard Engel’s escape from captivity in Syria brings a welcome end to a harrowing five-day ordeal. But for journalists like Engel, the chief foreign correspondent at NBC News, the threat of kidnapping while working in conflict zones is unavoidable—and can lead to far grimmer results. The chaos of Syria’s civil war has made the country the world’s most dangerous for journalists: freelance photographers John Cantlie and Jeroen Oerlemans were kidnapped this summer by jihadis fighting on the rebel side and were both wounded before more moderate rebels secured their release. Reporter Austin Tice has been missing since August and is believed to be in government hands. See photos of the journalists still being held in captivity at the end of 2012.