Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: The family of Thomas Gabriel Periera, a Kerala native shot dead by Jordanian soldiers on February 10, revealed the heartbreaking details of their last conversation with him. 

His wife recalled that their final exchange, just two days before his death, lasted only two minutes. 

"Last time I received a call, he only spoke to me for 2 minutes. He just asked me to pray for him," she told ANI.

Gabriel, a resident of Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram, was attempting to cross to Israel illegally from Jordan when the incident happened. He and his brother-in-law, Edison Charles, had arrived in Jordan on a visiting visa, along with two other companions. Reports indicate that the group was confronted by Jordanian soldiers as they tried to cross the border.

As they fled behind rocks to take cover, Gabriel was shot in the head and died on the spot, while Edison was injured, sustaining a bullet wound to his leg. Gabriel’s family was informed of his death via email from the Indian embassy. 

"We don't know what happened exactly. He left on February 5. On February 9, my sister received a call, it was just for 2 minutes. He just asked me to pray for him and cut the call. Then we received an email and we got to know that he died after he was shot in the head and his body is lying at a govt hospital there. He once worked in Kuwait for 5 years...he didn't say anything to his wife or anyone, he left silently. He called once he reached there and then only he told where he went to," his family said. 

Before his departure, Gabriel had not shared his travel plans with his wife or anyone else, leaving quietly. It was only after he arrived in Jordan that he informed his family of his whereabouts. Gabriel had previously worked in Kuwait for five years and had maintained a low profile regarding his travel.