Three persons who reportedly kidnapped an American missionary pastor have engaged in a shootout with the police.
The pastor was abducted at gunpoint during a sermon last week in South Africa.
He has now been rescued following a dramatic police operation that left three suspects dead, authorities said on Wednesday.
Josh Sullivan, 45, was delivering a sermon at the Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell, just outside the coastal city of Gqeberha, when armed assailants stormed the church and kidnapped him on Thursday.
According to a statement from the South African Police Service (SAPS), officers acted on a tip-off and tracked the suspects to a house in the KwaMagxaki district of Gqeberha on Tuesday.
As police approached the property, the suspects attempted to flee in a vehicle and opened fire on the officers.
“During the ensuing shoot-out, three suspects were fatally wounded,” the statement said. Sullivan was found inside the vehicle and rescued “miraculously unharmed.”
Sullivan, originally from Tennessee, moved to South Africa with his family in November 2018, according to his personal website, to serve as a missionary pastor and community outreach leader.
News of his safe return has sparked relief and praise for the swift action of South African law enforcement. However, the incident also shines a light on the country’s growing kidnapping crisis.
Police data shows that over 17,000 kidnappings were recorded in the 2023/2024 financial year—an 11 percent increase from the previous year.
The motive behind the abduction remains under investigation, and authorities have not ruled out the involvement of organized crime.
Sullivan is currently under medical observation and is expected to be reunited with his family soon.