DAMASCUS, Syria, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- A student missing in Syria since Jan. 3 is the second American citizen to disappear this month in the country, officials say.
Obada Mzaik, 21, is a dual citizen of America and Syria, and a civil engineering student at a private college in Damascus. Security officers detained him and his younger brother, Obaie when he arrived in the country on Jan. 3. While Obaie was released, they kept Obada, who has not been seen since, CNN reported.
Mzaik's uncle, Dr. Firas Nashef told CNN that the family now fears the worst. "And my sister is hanging on by a thread. We're all hanging on with a bit of hope. But she's angry she has no information."
The U.S. State Department issued a statement Tuesday saying it is working with Syrian authorities to find Mzaik.
Abdelkader Ch aar, 22, also disappeared on Jan. 8, five days after Mzaik was detained. He is also a dual citizen, and is thought to have been arrested in Aleppo.
