FOUR NEW YORK Times journalists who were reported missing last week while covering the Libya conflict have been found, the newspaper said today.

The journalists are Anthony Shadid, The Times’ Beirut bureau chief and a two-time Pulitzer-prize winning foreign correspondent; two photographers, Tyler Hicks and Lynsey Addario, who have extensive experience in war zones; and a reporter and videographer, Stephen Farrell, who in 2009 was captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan and was rescued by British commandos.

The newspaper reported on its website that the four were captured by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi and will be released today.

The Times said Gaddafi’s son, Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, gave the information to Christiane Amanpour in an ABC News interview.

A Times spokeswoman said the newspaper had no immediate comment.

Libyan government officials told the US State Department on Thursday evening that all four journalists would be released.

They had last been in contact with editors on Tuesday from the northern port city of Ajdabiya where they were covering the retreat of rebels.

-AP