Kabul (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Fr. Alexis Prem Kumar, SJ, the Indian Jesuit kidnapped in Afghanistan last June, "is alive and safe. We are working for his release", announced India's Foreign Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, yesterday afternoon, breaking silence on the priest's fate.
A native of Tamil Nadu, Fr. Prem
Kumar SJ was in charge of the
Afghan section of the Jesuit
Refugee Service
(JRS). He was seized
last June 2 in Herat province,
Afghanistan, by unidentified
gunmen.
In a letter sent to the chief minister Jayalalithaa in June, Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi said
that at this stage the main
concern was to ensure the
integrity of the ongoing efforts for Fr. Kumar's release and "to make sure that he is not injured."
"I can assure you that the
government will spare no efforts
- Modi had
written - in ensuring Fr.
Kumar's safe and speedy release.
I will continue to monitor the
situation closely".