Syrian boy kidnapped 3 months ago freed after ransom paid

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrian state media says that kidnappers in the country’s south have released a boy they had held for over three months after his family paid ransom. The case of eight-year-old Fawaz Quteifan shocked Syrians for weeks after his kidnappers released a video showing him screaming while being whipped with a hose to pressure his family to pay the ransom. Local media reported the ransom was 500 million Syrian pounds ($139,000), with some alleging the kidnappers had threatened to start cutting off Quteifan’s fingers if the money wasn’t paid. Authorities have detained a suspect linked to a telephone number used to send threats related to the kidnapping, state media reported.