A group of Iranians abducted in south-eastern Iran and taken to
neighboring Pakistan were released during a military operation
early Monday morning, the official IRNA news agency reported.
The operation was launched by Pakistan's security forces in the
country's Balochistan province, southwest of Pakistan, deputy
governor for security affairs of Iran's southeastern Sistan-
Baluchestan province Mohsen Sadeqi told IRNA.
The hostages were released after their kidnappers' hideout was
surrounded by Pakistani forces, Sadeqi said, without mentioning the
number of the released Iranians.
Iran's state-run Press TV channel reported on its website that
Pakistani security forces have secured the release of 21 Iranian
taken hostages by gunmen and arrested 18 terrorists in armed
clashes.
Early on Sunday, the gunmen blocked a road in Iran's province of
Sistan-Baluchestan and took some passengers hostage after burning
and opening fire at passing cars. They then transported their
captives to Pakistan.
Iranian media's reports gave conflicting numbers for the
hostages. Some previous reports said as many as 31 were held, while
others gave much lower numbers for those taken.
Southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province and its nearby province
of Kerman have been hit by a string of attacks and kidnappings in
the past years, which the Iranian authorities blamed on a Sunni
group called Jundallah.
Last Sunday, two Belgian tourists were kidnapped by bandits
while visiting the historic sites near the ancient city of Bam in
Kerman. The female one was soon released, but the man was still
believed to be held.
(Xinhua News Agency August 21, 2007)
