20 policemen abducted by armed men in Pakistan

At least 20 policemen were abducted by unidentified armed men in Mastung district of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province on Friday night, a government official told Xinhua on Saturday, reported Xinhua.

A senior provincial government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the armed men riding motorcycles intercepted a van carrying the personnel on a highway as they were returning home for the weekend from the Kalat Police Training Centre.

The assailants, armed with automatic weapons, took the personnel away along with the vehicle to an undisclosed location, while releasing the driver and three other passengers traveling in the van, the official said.

Security forces have launched a search operation in nearby mountainous areas to trace the missing policemen and secure their release, the official said, adding that their whereabouts remained unknown.

No group has claimed responsibility for the abduction yet.