Syria releases American journalists, official says

(CNN) -- Syria has released into U.S. custody two American journalists who Syrian officials said had illegally entered the country, a senior State Department official said Thursday.

Holli Chmela, 27, and Taylor Luck, 23, were released to the U.S. Embassy, according to the official and the editor of the journalists' newspaper, the Jordan Times in Amman, Jordan.

The editor, Sameer Barhoum, said both journalists told him they were in good health and would return to Amman on Thursday night.

Chmela and Luck had not been heard from since October 1, when they left the Lebanese capital of Beirut, where they were vacationing.

The Syrian foreign ministry announced Thursday that the pair had been arrested on suspicion of illegally crossing from Lebanon into northern Syria with the help of a smuggler.

The ministry said it summoned U.S. Charge d'Affaires Maura Connelly at noon local time (5 a.m. ET) to inform her that they had been arrested.

Luck, an editor with the Jordan Times, and Chmela, who had worked as a freelancer for the newspaper, arrived in Beirut on September 29, Barhoum said.

They had planned to travel by land to the northern Syrian city of Aleppo before returning to Jordan -- also by land -- by Saturday, Barhoum said.

Luck's mother called Barhoum on Sunday after she hadn't heard from her son in three days, he said. His mother said the last time Luck used his credit card was October 1 in Lebanon, according to Barhoum.

The U.S. Embassy in Beirut on Wednesday asked for help in finding the missing Americans.

After learning Thursday that the journalists were in Syrian custody, Luck's family released a statement thanking the U.S. State Department.

"We are grateful to so many in the U.S. State Department [in Washington, Beirut, Damascus and Amman] for all of their hard work that resulted in locating them," the statement said. "'Thank you' will never convey the gratitude we feel toward everyone involved in this extraordinary international effort."

CNN's Caroline Faraj in Dubai and Nada Husseini in Beirut contributed to this report.

All About Lebanon • U.S. Department of State • Beirut • Syria