14 Iranian security personnel ‘kidnapped’ near Pakistan border

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–FO says Pakistan Army working with Iranian military to recover abductees 

 

TEHRAN: Fourteen Iranian security personnel, including Revolutionary Guards intelligence officers, were allegedly abducted near the Pak-Iran border on Tuesday, as Pakistan’s Foreign Office said that Pakistan Army was working with Iranian forces to recover the abductees.

The border guards were “abducted between 4am and 5am in the Lulakdan area of the border by a terrorist group”, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Lulakdan is a small village 150 kilometre southeast of Zahedan, capital of the province of Sistan-Balochistan.

Of the 14, two were members of the elite Revolutionary Guards intelligence unit, and seven were volunteers in the Basij militia involved in “a security operation”.

The rest were regular border guards, according to the Young Journalists’ Club, a state-owned news website.

The reports did not name a specific group as a suspect in the abduction.

Expressing concern over the abduction, Pakistan’s Foreign Office in a press release said Pakistan will spare no effort in assisting Iran to recover the guards.

“Pakistan has noted with concern the reports of abduction of 12 Iranian border guards from Iran. Both militaries, under a joint mechanism established since last year, are working to ascertain the whereabouts of Iranian guards,” the press release stated.

“DG MOs from two sides are coordinating actions in this regard. No effort will be spared to assist our Iranian brothers in finding the Iranian guards,” the statement added.