Josh Sullivan: Kidnapped US pastor rescued after South Africa shoot-out

Three people died in the "high-intensity shootout" that led to Josh Sullivan's rescue, officials say.

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Josh Sullivan was found unharmed in the township in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape on Tuesday evening - the area where the 45-year-old was taken last Thursday.

There were no immediate details on the kidnappers, who had made a ransom demand.

There has been a dramatic increase in kidnappings for ransom in South Africa over the past decade.

Mr Sullivan's kidnappers had made a ransom demand, prompting the intervention of South Africa's elite police unit, known as the Hawks.