KABUL, Afghanistan, June 5 (UPI) -- Afghan security forces have arrested one individual in connection with the abduction of Jesuit priest Fr. Alexis Prem Kumar, who was taken by armed gunmen from a school outside Herat on Monday.
Provincial security chief Gen. Samiullah Qatra said the suspect is currently in custody as the investigation continues.
Local authorities and residents from the district where the priest was abducted believe the kidnappers may have taken Fr. Prem Kumar to Gulran district.
Fazelullah Wahidi, Herat's provincial governor, said that authorities are attempting to mediate Fr. Prem Kumar's release with "district elders."
The 47-year-old priest and director of the Jesuit Refugee Service in Afghanistan was taken by unidentified assailants during a visit to a JRS-supported school in Sodhadat village, 15 miles outside the city of Herat.
Fr. Prem Kumar, an Indian national, moved to Afghanistan in 2008 to help returning Afghans -- who had fled to Iran and Pakistan -- reintegrate by providing them with education and healthcare in Bamiyan, Kabul, and Herat.
His family in India are praying for his safe return. His brother, Albert Manoharan, expressed frustration about the investigation, saying, "We are all in the dark about my brother kidnapped in Afghanistan. Please give us some good news about him and his safety. ... The information flow seems to be one way -- from our side."
