“Fr. Paolo Dall’Oglio is alive and is being treated well by his kidnappers, who are members of the Islamic State in Iraq
and the Levant (ISIS) extremist group,” anti-regime activist Khalaf Ali
Khalaf was informed by Al-Qaeda-affiliated sources close to the
extremist group.
Sources saw the Italian Jesuit in an area in northern Syria where ISIS is active, Khalaf told Aki-Adnkronos Internationalnews agency.
The journalist, who is based in north-eastern Syria, did not wish to reveal the identities of his sources for fear of reprisals. Neither did he mention where exactly Dall’Oglio had been seen.
The Jesuit priest went missing in the city of Raqqa on 28 July.
The Syrian National Coalition (SNC) had previously expressed “deep concern” for the Jesuit’s wellbeing and urged activists in Raqqa to come forward with any information that may help find Dall’Oglio and guarantee his safety.
The Italian priest had gone to Syria to negotiate a peace deal between jihadist and Kurdish groups.
He was expelled from the country in June last year.