A banned outfit reportedly abducted nine labourers from the Dasht area of Mastung district in Balochistan on Wednesday evening, according to Levies officials.
Sources said the armed men intercepted a pickup vehicle carrying the workers who were returning from a construction site in the Siyah Pesh area of Tehsil Dasht. The attackers, believed to be linked to a banned militant group, released the local driver but took away nine labourers along with the vehicle.
The abducted workers belong to various districts of Punjab and Sindh and were engaged in construction work at an under-development site.
Following the incident, the Levies Force and law enforcement agencies launched a major search operation in nearby hilly terrain and adjoining localities to recover the kidnapped labourers.
Officials confirmed that security has been tightened across Mastung and surrounding regions, while intelligence units have been tasked to trace the culprits behind the abduction.
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No group has formally claimed responsibility yet, but authorities suspect the involvement of a banned organization operating in the region.
The incident has once again highlighted the growing security challenges faced by non-local workers in Balochistan.
