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Report: Vatican, FBI Involved in Efforts to Free Kidnapped Priest in Yemen

Deacon Greg Kandra - published on 04/01/16

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This story moved last weekend but hasn’t gotten much attention or comment. Far as I know, there’s been no independent confirmation. But if accurate, this is an interesting development: 

The Vatican and the FBI are among those working hard to rescue Catholic priest Tom Uzhunnallil from Kerala who is currently in the custody of the Islamic State terrorist group in Yemen, an official said on Saturday. A massive joint operation has been launched, with officials coordinating from various places, to see that the priest is rescued, an official who did not wish to be named told IANS. “The Vatican, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Catholic church’s working groups in Jordan and Abu Dhabi, besides Indian Embassy officials in Djibouti along with Indians based in Yemen are all working hard to see that the priest is rescued,” the official said. On Saturday morning, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted that they were trying to rescue Uzhunnallil. “Fr Tom Uzhunnallil – an Indian national from Kerala was abducted by a terror group in Yemen. We r making all efforts to secure his release,” she wrote.

Read more. 

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