US pastor taken during church service in South Africa found after shoot-out

An American, pastor who was kidnapped by armed men during a church service in South Africa last week has been rescued following a "high-intensity shoot-out" that left three people dead, authorities say.

Josh Sullivan was found unharmed in the township in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape on Tuesday evening - the area where the 45-year-old was snatched from last Thursday.

There were no immediate details on the kidnappers who are suspected of having been familiar with the family's movements.

Over the past decade, there has been 264% increase in kidnappings in South Africa, according to police statistics.