Four of Mother Teresa’s nuns were killed by gunmen in a raid on a care home for the elderly early this morning in Aden, Yemen.
The death of the Missionaries of Charity was confirmed to the Fides news agency by sources at the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia.
In addition to the nuns, the driver and at least two other Ethiopian community helpers were killed. The Associated Press reported that 16 people were killed, including Yemeni guards.
The convent superior and elderly and disabled persons living at the community were unharmed. However so far there is no news of Indian Salesian priest Father Tom Uzhunnalil, who has been staying at the sisters’ house since the Holy Family church in Aden was sacked and torched by unidentified gunmen last September.
Two of the sisters killed were Rwandan, one was Indian and the fourth was from Kenya. The convent Superior is giving information to the local police who are keeping the bodies of the sisters and the other victims in custody.
So far no one has claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack, but it is known that in this Yemeni port-city, retaken some months ago by troops faithful to president Abdel Rabbo Mansour Hadi, in conflict with Houthi rebels, there are deeply rooted bands in connection with the network of al Qaida.
