American who says he crossed into Syria on foot is free after 7 months in detention

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — An American who turned up in Syria says he was detained after crossing into the country on foot seven months ago on a Christian pilgrimage. Travis Timmerman appears to have been among thousands of people released from the country’s notorious prisons after rebels reached Damascus over the weekend, overthrowing President Bashar Assad and ending his family’s 54-year rule. A video of Timmerman circulated online on Thursday. He was initially mistaken by some for Austin Tice, an American journalist who went missing in Syria 12 years ago. In an interview with Al-Arabiya TV, he said he had been treated well in detention but had heard other young men being tortured.