Gunmen abduct 20 police trainees in Pakistan's Balochistan

Unidentified gunmen have abducted 20 police trainees in Pakistan's Balochistan province, officials and Pakistani media said.

A senior police official in Mastung, speaking to the media on condition of anonymity, said the incident happened on Friday in the Gorgina area between Mastung and Noshki. Armed men riding motorcycles stopped a passenger vehicle carrying the recruits and took the passengers away. The driver and three civilians were later released.

The trainees were undergoing training at the police recruit centre in Kalat and were heading home for their weekend leave. Officials said they come from the Washuk, Noshki, Chagai and Kharan areas.

According to media reports, security forces have launched a search operation in the surrounding mountains. No group has claimed responsibility, and the whereabouts of the trainees remain unknown.

Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, is one of Pakistan's most volatile provinces. Baloch separatist groups have repeatedly attacked security forces and infrastructure there; in March last year, militants seized the Jaffar Express train, which was carrying at least 400 passengers. Pakistan has also seen a sharp rise in militant violence in recent months, which has fuelled tensions with Kabul.