A major security incident has intensified concerns in Pakistan’s troubled Balochistan province after 20 police recruits were abducted by armed men in Mastung district while travelling home from training.

The recruits were undergoing training at the Kalat Police Training Centre and were reportedly heading home for weekend leave when their passenger van was intercepted on the Quetta-Karachi Highway.

According to officials, a group of armed men riding motorcycles and carrying automatic weapons stopped the vehicle in the Gorgina area of Mastung before taking the recruits away to an undisclosed location.

The attackers reportedly released the van driver and several civilian passengers before fleeing with the recruits, indicating that the security personnel were the specific targets of the operation.

The abducted personnel were said to be former members of the Levies Force, which has since been merged into the police service. Many of the recruits reportedly belonged to districts within the Rakhshan division.

Security forces launched an extensive search operation shortly after the incident, deploying personnel across surrounding mountainous areas and establishing checkpoints in and around Mastung as part of efforts to locate the missing recruits.

At the time of the abduction, no organisation had formally claimed responsibility. However, reports suggested that Baloch separatist militants were among the groups being investigated in connection with the incident.

The kidnapping comes amid a wider pattern of attacks and abductions targeting security personnel and government officials in Balochistan, a province that has witnessed persistent insurgent activity, armed assaults and security operations for years.

Recent incidents in the province have included attacks on police checkpoints, kidnappings of public officials and assaults on transport routes, highlighting the continuing security challenges faced by authorities in the region.

The latest abduction has further underscored concerns about the safety of security personnel travelling through remote areas of Balochistan and the ability of militant groups to carry out high-profile operations against state institutions.

Agencies