A senior Balochistan government official confirmed the abduction to Dawn on condition of anonymity, saying the recruits were heading home for the weekend when armed men intercepted their vehicle.

“Yes, 20 police personnel who were going home for the weekend were taken away by armed men while they were travelling in a passenger van on the Quetta-Karachi Highway in Mastung,” the official said.

According to the official, a group of armed men riding motorcycles and carrying automatic weapons stopped the van and abducted the recruits, taking them along with the vehicle to an undisclosed location.

The gunmen reportedly released the driver and three other passengers who were travelling in the van.

Police officials told Dawn News that the abducted personnel belonged to the Levies Force.

Security forces have launched an operation to recover the kidnapped recruits, according to media reports.

No group has claimed responsibility for the abduction so far.