The American priest was kidnapped after the shooting of South Africa

The authorities say that the American priest, who was kidnapped by armed men during the South African church service last week, was rescued after “high -density shooting”, which made three people died.

Josh Sullivan was found without harm in the town in GQEBerha in the Eastern Cape on Tuesday evening-the area where the 45-year-old was extracted from last Thursday.

There were no immediate details of the kidnappers who were suspected of being familiar with family movements.

Over the past decade, there has been a 264 % increase in kidnappings in South Africa, according to police statistics.

In a statement issued on Wednesday morning, the Elite Police Unit in South Africa, known as hawks, said that Sullivan had been rescued after “the intelligence that was verified as a coordinated team … quickly moved to the specified location.”

Falcon spokesman Aville Fumba said that as the officers approached the house, the suspects tried to escape in a car, while opening the fire.

“The officers responded with tactical accuracy, which led to an exchange of high -density shooting, as three unidentified suspects were injured,” said Mr. Fomba.

The family of Mr. Sullivan and her friends have provided sympathetic appeals for his safe return since his kidnapping.

Jeremy Hall, a Sullivan family spokesman, told the local Times Life that he was in the church with his wife and children when he was kidnapped.

“They knew his name,” he said at the time.

While initial reports stated that no ransom application was submitted, his kidnappers later requested a request, which prompted the intervention of hawks.

The unit, a branch within the South African Police Force, focuses on an investigation into organized and economic crimes and other serious crimes.

Mr. Sullivan describes himself as a “church that grows missionaries” on his personal website.

On this, he says he moved to South Africa with his wife and children in 2018 to create a church for people who speak xosa.