Aden: In a grisly act, an Indian priest who was abducted from a nursing home in Yemen was crucified on Good Friday by Islamic State group, according to a report in The Washington Times.
A native of India, Father Tom Uzhunnalil, 56, had roots in Kerala. He was taken by Islamist gunmen, reportedly linked to ISIS, who attacked an old people's home in Aden, southern Yemen, killing at least 15 people, on March 4.
According to the report, Father Uzhunnalil was killed in the same way in which the Romans had crucified Jesus Christ.
Earlier, several religious groups had posted on social media that they had received reports which stated that Father Tom would be crucified on Friday during the Christian holiday.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had also confirmed Uzhunnalil's abduction. "Fr Tom Uzhunnallil - an Indian national from Kerala was abducted by a terror group in Yemen. We r making all efforts to secure his release," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted.
Swaraj’s reaction came after a growing alarm among the Christian community following an ominous report by the terror outfit to crucify the priest around Easter.
Yemeni authorities have blamed ISIS for the March 4 attack on the refuge for the elderly operated by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity in main southern city Aden.
Four gunmen posing as relatives of one of the guests at the home burst inside, killing four Indian nuns, two Yemeni female staff members, eight elderly residents and a guard.
