American released from Syrian prison leaves country: US official

 The US military has transported out of Syria an American who had disappeared seven months ago into former President Bashar Assad’s notorious prison system and was among the thousands released this week by rebels, a US official said Friday.

Travis Timmerman, 29, was flown out of Syria on a US military helicopter, according to a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing operation.

It’s unclear where Timmerman may go next.

After being rescued, he thanked his rescuers for freeing him but has told American officials that he would like to stay in the region, according to another person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly.

Timmerman was detained after he crossed into Syria while on a Christian pilgrimage from a mountain along the eastern Lebanese town of Zahle in June.

He told The Associated Press that he was not ill-treated while in Palestine Branch, a notorious detention facility operated by Syrian intelligence.

In his prison cell, Timmerman said, he had a mattress, a plastic drinking container and two others for waste.

He said the Friday calls to prayers helped keep track of days.

Timmerman said he was released Monday morning alongside a young Syrian man and 70 female prisoners, some of whom had their children with them, after rebels seized control of Damascus and forced Assad from power in a dramatic upheaval.

He said he was freed by “the liberators who came into the prison and knocked the door down (of his cell) with a hammer.”

He had been held separately from Syrian and other Arab prisoners and said he didn’t know of any other Americans held in the facility.

Timmerman is from Urbana, Missouri, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Springfield in the southwestern part of the state.

He earned a finance degree from Missouri State University in 2017.