Travis Timmerman: The US military freed an American prisoner from Syria

Two US government sources told CBS, the BBC’s US partner, that an American military helicopter took Mr Timmerman out of the country after Syrian rebels from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group brought him to US forces in the town of Tanf.

According to the AP news agency, he told American officials that he hoped to stay in the Middle East rather than return to the United States.

It is not clear what Mr. Timmerman is doing in Syria.

Police in his home state of Missouri, as well as in Hungary, said Mr Timmerman had gone missing in May, having last been seen in Budapest.

Her parents reported her missing in June.

Mr. Timmerman told US news agencies that he was on a religious “pilgrimage” while crossing from Lebanon to Syria.

He told CBS that during his captivity in Syria, he was treated well. Speaking to NBC News, he said his arrest was “a time of solace, a time of meditation, and I’m stronger for it.”

Mr Timmerman’s family said they were surprised he was in Syria and glad he was safe.

His cousin Mandy Pendridge told CBS. “Then it’s hard not to think negative thoughts.

“We kind of thought that would be the worst outcome for us.”

Speaking to CNN on Friday, his parents said they had no idea how Mr. Timmerman ended up in Syria, although his stepfather suggested he wanted to write a book about “old churches.”

His mother, Stacey Gardiner, said she believes her son “looks different” and has “been through a lot”.

Another cousin, Miranda Collins, said finding him was “the best Christmas present ever”.

“For seven months, all we knew was that he was gone,” she said. “We didn’t know if he was dead or alive.”

Mr Timmerman’s escape from Jordan comes as US officials and Syrian groups continue to search for Austin Tice, an American freelance journalist who was captured near Damascus in 2012 while covering the country’s civil war.

He was last seen blindfolded and in obvious distress in a video – posted online weeks after his capture. The US believes it is being held by the Assad regime.

President Joe Biden said this The US believes Mr Tize is alivebut its location remains unknown.