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

DAMASCUS, Syria -- An American who says he crossed into Syria on foot has been released after seven months in detention.

Travis Timmerman told the Al-Arabiya TV network in an interview on Thursday that he had been treated well. He said he had crossed into Syria from Lebanon on a religious pilgrimage.

He appeared in videos circulating online earlier in the day in which rebels said they had located him and were keeping him safe.