The US military has transported Travis Timmerman, a 29-year-old American who was recently freed from a Syrian prison to safety in Jordan, US officials informed on Friday.
Timmerman was released earlier this week during the dramatic fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, marking the end of his seven-month captivity.
Timmerman was handed over to US troops at the Tanf garrison, a key military base near Syria’s borders with Iraq and Jordan, before being flown to Jordan on a military helicopter. US officials have confirmed that he is now with State Department representatives.
According to US sources quoted by AP, Timmerman was freed from the notorious Palestine Branch detention facility after Syrian rebels stormed the prison, breaking down his cell door with a hammer. His release came alongside other detainees, including women and children, following the rebels’ takeover of Damascus and Assad’s flight to Russia.
The White House stated it had no prior knowledge of Timmerman’s presence in Syria. Reports suggest he entered the country from Lebanon in June while on a religious pilgrimage. During his detention, Timmerman said he was treated fairly, describing his time in captivity as one of reflection. His family, based in Missouri, expressed relief at his return, with a cousin calling his rescue “the best Christmas gift.”
Timmerman’s release comes as US officials and humanitarian groups continue efforts to locate Austin Tice, a freelance journalist missing in Syria since 2012.
The fall of Assad’s regime has reignited hope for answers, as Syrians search prisons for loved ones and information surfaces about detainees.