Police in South Africa said they had successfully rescued Josh Sullivan in an operation.
Police in South Africa said they had rescued the kidnapped U.S. pastor Josh Sullivan following a « high-intensity shootout » that left three of his captors dead.
« Miraculously unharmed, he was immediately assessed by medical personnel and is currently in an excellent condition », police said in a statement.
The 45-year-old American citizen from Tennessee had been conducting a service on April 10 at the Fellowship Baptist Church in the Eastern Cape township of Motherwell when the building was stormed by four armed and masked men who abducted him.
The men also stole two cellphones from members of the congregation before taking the pastor away in his own truck, a silver Toyota Fortuner that was later found abandoned.
Police said intelligence led them to a safe house in KwaMagxaki, Gqeberha, where Sullivan was held. They conducted the rescue operation on Tuesday.
« As officers approached the house, they observed a vehicle on the premises. The suspects inside the vehicle upon seeing law enforcement allegedly attempted to flee and opened fire on the team », police said.
