New Delhi: With Father Thomas Uzhunnallil, the Indian priest who was kidnapped by Islamic State terrorists in Yemen earlier this year, appealing for help from the Indian government and Pope Francis, the External Affairs Ministry said yesterday that efforts continue to secure his release.
"Because I was working as a priest of the Christian religion, I was kidnapped in the month of March," Father Uzhunnallil said in a video released by his captors. "Several months have gone by and my captors have made many contacts with the government of India to get me released," said the priest who has now a long white beard and looks fatigued.
"Honourable President and Prime Minister of India, I am sad that nothing has been done."
On March 4, the Salesian Order priest from Kerala was kidnapped after IS terrorists barged into a Missionaries of Charity care home in Aden of which he was the caretaker and shot dead many people, including four nuns, one of them from India.
"You are aware of the circumstances currently prevailing in Yemen where fighting is going on with no central authority in that country," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said following the release of the video. In the video, Uzhunnallil said that there have been reports in the media that everything was being done to secure his release "but in reality nothing seems to have happened".
