Five football players kidnapped in Dera Bugti

QUETTA:

In a distressing incident that unfolded on Saturday afternoon, five football players were abducted in the Sangsila area of Balochistan's Dera Bugti district.

The incident occurred as the players were en route to Sibi to participate in the Chief Minister Balochistan Gold Cup tournament, with armed militants forcibly taking them into captivity.

A senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he lacked authorisation to address the media, confirmed the abduction, emphasising the volatile security situation in the Sangsila area.

Security measures have been escalated in response to the kidnapping of these football players.

Saleh Muhammad Nasar, the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) of Balochistan, disclosed that a search operation has been initiated in the area. However, due to the darkness and the heightened sensitivity of the situation, the operation was temporarily suspended.

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Nasar reassured the public, stating, "The operation will be resumed at first light, and we remain hopeful that the abducted football players will be recovered promptly."

The gravity of the situation has prompted the caretaker Chief Minister of Balochistan, Ali Mardan Domki, to take immediate notice of the incident. In an official statement released by the Chief Minister's Secretariat, it was revealed that CM Domki has instructed the local administration to redouble their efforts to ensure the safe and unhurt recovery of the kidnapped football players.

Furthermore, the chief minister has called for the formation of a joint team comprising Levies paramilitary force and the police to coordinate efforts in locating and rescuing the abducted football players.