A Samaritan’s Purse humanitarian flight was hijacked earlier this week while en route to deliver medical aid in South Sudan. The Evangelical relief organization confirmed that a Cessna Grand Caravan used in its African operations “was involved in a hijacking incident on Tuesday.” The aircraft, destined for Maiwut, South Sudan, was transporting medicine to a mobile medical unit.
An armed man, later identified as Yasir Mohammed Yusuf from the disputed Abyei Administrative Area, reportedly boarded the plane without detection before departure. The aircraft carried a pilot, a Samaritan’s Purse staff member, and the suspect. After the hijacker attempted to redirect the flight to Chad, the pilot successfully landed the plane in Wau, South Sudan.
Authorities from South Sudan’s National Security Service quickly apprehended the suspect. Samaritan’s Purse released a statement saying, “We praise God that no one was seriously injured, and we are grateful to the security forces for their support and swift action on the ground to resolve the situation and bring a safe outcome.”
