An American preacher who sought out a remote Indian tribe of North Sentinel Island was killed by arrows.
Indian officials said John Allen Chau, 26, illegally ventured into parts of the Andaman islands in search of the Sentinelese tribe, which is hostile to outsiders. The American was allegedly attacked on Nov. 15 but then returned the next day and was killed.
“The investigation in this matter is on,” senior police officer Deepak Yadav said, Agence France-Presse reported Tuesday.
Mr. Chau allegedly paid fishermen $325 to take him to the island.
He was “attacked by arrows but he continued walking,” sources told AFP. “The fishermen saw the tribals tying a rope around his neck and dragging his body.”
Mr. Chau first arrived in the region on Oct. 16, Dependera Pathak, director-general of police on India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands, told The Associated Press.
SEE ALSO: Indian island police struggle to get body of American
The fishermen who took Mr. Chau to the islands have been arrested, Reuters reported.
A source told Reuters that the preacher’s journal read: “[I’m] doing this to establish the kingdom of Jesus on the island … Do not blame the natives if I am killed.”
Officials are meeting with experts on the tribe to plan the best way of retrieving the victim’s body.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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