Pak militant group claims it has kidnapped 16 Iranian guards

Islamabad, June 15 (PTI) A Pakistan-based militant group
Saturday claimed it had kidnapped 16 Iranian border security
personnel and threatened to kill them if 200 of its activists
jailed by Tehran were not released.

A spokesman for Jundullah (Army of Allah), Maulvi Abdul
Rauf, said that his group had kidnapped 28 Iranian border
security personnel.

Rauf said 12 Iranian personnel had been freed and 16
were still in Jundullah's custody, Aaj TV reported.

Jundullah is a militant group based in Balochistan and
is believed to be behind Baloch insurgency in Pakistan and in
Iran's Sistan and Baluchistan provinces. The group has been
identified as a terrorist organisation by Iran and Pakistan.
Some believe the group is also linked to Al Qaida.

Rauf, who spoke to reporters in Quetta Press Club over
phone from an undisclosed location, demanded the release of up
to 200 Jundullah activists held in Iranian jails in exchange
of the kidnapped Iranian border guards.

He was quoted by the TV channel as saying that three
officers are among the hostages.

The Jundullah spokesman said the hostages would be
killed if the group's activists were not released in two
weeks. Rauf also said his group had conveyed its demands to
the Iranian authorities and was awaiting their response.

Pakistani media reported that Iranian authorities had
informed Pakistani officials about the kidnapping Friday
and sought their help in tracing and freeing the abducted
border guards.

"The Iranian government has sought our help," an official
said, adding that Pakistani forces had been alerted. PTI