Timmerman, 29, had not contacted his family for months after he went on a trip to Eastern Europe. His discovery came in the wake of the overthrow of the Assad regime.

A U.S. defense official told CBS News that Travis Timmerman was flown out of Syria and into Jordan by the U.S. military and handed over to the State Department.

The exchange took place at the remote U.S. base in southeastern Syria known as At Tanf garrison, close to the border with Jordan.