Father Tom Uzhunnalil, the Catholic priest kidnapped last March by Islamic extremists in Yemen, has thanked “God Almighty” after being freed from captivity.
The news was officially announced by Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj in a Sept. 12 tweet that read: “I am happy to inform that Father Tom Uzhunnalil has been rescued.”
According to the state-run Oman News Agency, “Father Tom” was reportedly set free after the intervention of the Oman foreign ministry and has already arrived in the Omani capital of Muscat. He is expected to return to his home in Kerala, India shortly, Catholic News Agency reports.
In a statement from Oman News Agency, which was published in the Oman Observer, Fr. Tom had “expressed thanks to God Almighty” following his release.
“In compliance with the His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Oman in coordination with the Yemeni parties have managed find a Vatican priest,” the statement read, adding that Fr. Tom “has been transferred to Muscat from where he will return to his home in Kerala.”
A statement from the Holy See said Fr. Tom “will remain for a few days in a Salesian community in Rome before going home to India.”
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