The rescue came five days after Tennessee missionary Josh Sullivan was kidnapped by armed men from his church in Motherwell, South Africa.
A statement from the South African Police Service said the shootout happened at a safe house where the 34-year-old pastor was being held captive.
The police report described the rescue this way…..“As officers approached the house, they observed a vehicle on the premises. The suspects inside the vehicle upon seeing law enforcement allegedly attempted to flee and opened fire on the team. The officers responded with tactical precision, leading to a high-intensity shootout in which three unidentified suspects were fatally wounded.”
Sullivan was in that car but unharmed.
The statement said the investigation of the kidnapping is still underway and asked for “privacy for the victim and his family as they navigate this period of recovery.”
Sullivan, who leads Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell, was kidnapped by multiple armed men during a sermon at his church on April 10. The kidnappers had demanded an undisclosed ransom.
The kidnapping triggered a global prayer rally starting with Sullivan’s home church, Fellowship Baptist Church in Maryville, Tennessee, led by Pastor Tom Hatley.
Hatley celebrated the rescue in a statement on Facebook Wednesday while urging his followers to continue praying for Sullivan and his family.