At least 10 picnickers were allegedly kidnapped by unknown armed men in the Quetta region of Pakistan.

According to officials, a large number of people went to the Shaban area for picnic the other day, during which a group of armed men encircled the mountains and started checking the national identity cards of the picnickers, reported Dawn News.

An eyewitness told Dawn News that the armed men later released four individuals, but “took away 10 people whose national identity cards showed addresses in Punjab”.

“A customs official was also among the 10 kidnapped people who went to Shaban for picnic,” an official told the newspaper.

Security forces reached the spot and commenced investigation into the incident.

“Security forces have launched a search operation in a nearby mountainous area to trace the kidnappers,” the official said.

Banned  Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the incident.