INDIAN-AMERICAN doctor Dilip Joseph, who was rescued from Taliban’s captivity in a military
operation in Afghanistan, is doing well, his employers have said.
“I have not spoken to him yet but I hear that he is physically doing OK,” said Lars Peterson, executive director of Morning Star Development for which Joseph worked.
“Although he was reported to be in good condition and uninjured during the rescue, he will receive precautionary examinations and debriefing before returning to his Colorado Springs home, probably within a few days,” added Peterson.
Joseph, who was involved in training local medical professionals in Afghanistan, was kidnapped along with two other members of his company on December 5.
“The three staff members were abducted while returning from a visit to one of our rural medical clinics in eastern Kabul Province. They were stopped and captured while driving by a group of armed men. They were eventually taken to a mountainous area about 50 miles from the Pakistan border,” Peterson said on Tuesday (December 11).
Joseph was rescued in a joint operation by US commandos and Afghan forces. While one US Navy SEAL was killed in the rescue, seven insurgents were also left dead.
“He was then taken to Bagram Airfield north of Kabul. His family was notified of his safe rescue very shortly after he was freed,” Peterson said.
The other two members were released about 11 hours earlier following hectic negotiations over three days, he said, refusing to disclose their identity citing security reasons.
Peterson added that the organisation did not pay any ransom to secure release of its abducted staff.
