A new entry in a blog purportedly by a lesbian Syrian-American living in Damascus asserted that the entire saga was a hoax, supposedly written by a man.

The post, which came days after an entry saying the blogger had been arrested, was signed by "Tom MacMaster" in Istanbul, Turkey.

In it, the author says the narrative was fictional but insists it "created an important voice for issues I feel strongly about."

It says the author never expected so much attention.

On Tuesday, a blog post at the same site supposedly written by the woman's cousin said she had been detained in Damascus after weeks on the run. The story unravelled quickly after a woman in Britain said the photos on the Facebook account of the blogger known as Amina Arraf were actually of her. Her disappearance was reported and confirmed by an activist in Damascus, but reporters in Virginia then could find no trace of Arraf or her family.

The author of the blog post on Sunday titled it "Apology to readers" but wrote "I do not believe that I have harmed anyone." There was no listing for MacMaster in Istanbul.

In the post purportedly by Arraf's cousin, Rania Ismail, it said Arraf was last seen Monday being bundled into a car by three men in civilian clothes as she was on her way to meet someone at the activist Local Coordination Committees. Ismail said a friend accompanying her was nearby and saw what happened.

A reporter for The Associated Press, who maintained a monthlong email correspondence with someone claiming to be Arraf, found the writer seemed very much like a woman in the midst of the violent change gripping Syria. The writer spoke about friends in Damascus, and outlined worries about her father and hopes for the future of her country.

In the emails, the person acknowledged fudging some details of escaping from Syrian security officials to protect herself and her family, and painted a harrowing picture of fleeing her home.

Jelena Lecic, the woman whose photos were linked to Arraf's Facebook profile, said the London woman first learned her likeness was being used when it was linked to article about Arraf in the Guardian newspaper, her spokesman has said.

The spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.