Yemen: Kidnapped Indian Priest Released After 18 Months

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An Indian priest who was kidnapped by suspected Islamic terrorists 18-months ago in Yemen has been rescued and taken to Muscat and will soon fly back to India, officials confirmed.

Salesian Father Thomas Uzhunnalil was “released” Sept. 12 and “he is in safe hands,” said a communique posted in the website of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia that covers the area.

Bishop Paul Hinder of Southern Arabia confirmed that the priest who was abducted during the attack on a care home run by the Missionaries of Charity in Aden on March 4, 2016 has been released.

Federal home ministry officials in New Delhi also confirmed the freedom of the priest, but said they do not know details of his current location or arrival to India.

However, a Twitter post from the Oman Observer said the priest was flown to Muscat and released a picture of him standing in a large room.

Father Uzhunnalil, a member of Bangalore Province of the Salesians of Don Bosco, worked as chaplain at the care home in Yemen. The attackers also killed four Missionaries of Charity nuns and at least 12 others who were at the home for the aged.

UCA News

The Union of Catholic Asian News (UCA News, UCAN) is the leading independent Catholic news source in Asia. A network of journalists and editors that spans East, South and Southeast Asia, UCA News has for four decades aimed to provide the most accurate and up-to-date news, feature, commentary and analysis, and multimedia content on social, political and religious developments that relate or are of interest to the Catholic Church in Asia.

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