"We know nothing, we do not know where he is or if he is still alive. We hope and pray for him," Bishop Paul Hinder OFM, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia, told Fides.
Meanwhile Yemen continues to be ravaged by violence and military attacks. On Monday 14 March, at al Khamis in the province of Hajjah at least 107 people died as a result of the bombing of a crowded market by the Saudi-led coalition. Posts are circulating on the social networks with various images of a letter sent by fax and attributed to Sr. Sally, the Superior of the Missionaries of Charity in Aden, who managed to escape the attack of Friday 4 March.
In the letter, which contains a number of comments on the situation in Aden and reactions to the attack on the sisters, reference is made also to Fr Uzhunnalil.
According to what is written, during the attack Sr. Sally had gone to look for him to warn him, but he was already aware of the situation having heard the screams. Instead of trying to escape, he ran into the chapel to consume all the consecrated hosts in order to prevent the assailants performing a sacrilege.
In another passage a sister remembers how Fr Uzhunnalil used to repeat every day: "we are ready for martyrdom."
