Kerala priest Father Tom Uzhunnalil, abducted by Islamic State in Yemen, rescued

New Delhi: Father Tom Uzhunnalil, a Kerala priest who was abducted from Yemen in 2016, has been rescued from the ISIS captivity, the Centre announced on Tuesday.

An  announcement in this regard was made by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Twitter, according to ANI.

I am happy to inform that Father Tom Uzhunnalil from Kerala has been rescued, EAM Sushma Swaraj was quoted as saying.

I am happy to inform that Father Tom Uzhunnalil has been rescued.pic.twitter.com/FwAYoTkbj2 — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) September 12, 2017

Kerala priest Tom Uzhunnalil was kept in the captivity of the Islamic State after he was abducted from Yemen in 2016.

He was rescued after efforts by the Oman Foreign Ministry and Yemeni officials.

Media reports said that the priest, who is currently in Muscat, will be flown to Kerala tonight. 

Father Uzhunnalil was abducted in March 2016 by the ISIS fighters which attacked an old-age home, run by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity, in southern Yemeni city of Aden. 

At least 15 people at the home were killed in the attack.

EAM Sushma Swaraj had earlier said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had spoken to various countries through which contacts could be established in Yemen since India does not have an Embassy of its own in the country.