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An American pastor kidnapped during a church service in South Africa has been rescued following a high-intensity police operation that resulted in the deaths of three suspects.
Josh Sullivan, 45, a missionary from Tennessee, was abducted on April 10 while delivering a sermon at Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell, near Gqeberha. Four armed, masked men stormed the church, stealing cellphones and taking Sullivan at gunpoint in front of his wife and six children. His vehicle was later found abandoned.
Authorities confirmed that a ransom demand was made, prompting the involvement of South Africa’s elite police unit, the Hawks. On April 15, acting on intelligence, police located Sullivan in a house in KwaMagxaki. As officers approached, the suspects attempted to flee in a vehicle, opening fire on the police. In the ensuing shootout, three suspects were fatally wounded. Sullivan was found unharmed in the vehicle and has since been reunited with his family.
Sullivan has been serving as a missionary in South Africa since 2018, focusing on establishing a church for Xhosa-speaking people. The incident highlights a concerning rise in kidnappings for ransom in South Africa, which have increased by 264% over the past decade.
