Militants take 12 hostage in Iran

TEHRAN: Armed militants on Sunday kidnapped 12 people in Iran after firing at their cars on a remote road in the southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province close to the border with Pakistan, police said.

The militants, linked to the shadowy Sunni rebel leader Abdolmalek Rigi, ambushed the vehicles around the town of Negur, 50 kms from the border, and then took them into Pakistan.

"The armed bandits, who belong to Rigi's terrorist group, shot at eight passing personal vehicles," said Mehdi Ahmadi, the head of the police information centre in Tehran, according to the Fars news agency.

"After setting fire to the cars, they abducted eight of the car drivers and four of the passengers. They then escaped."

"The hostages are still alive and have been transferred to Pakistan," he added.

He said the militants had probably been looking to exact revenge after police killed two members of their group in a clash the day earlier.

No information was given about the nationality of the hostages.

The province of Sistan-Baluchestan, which borders Afghanistan and Pakistan, is known for attacks by militants on passing traffic, especially on roads in its remote eastern corner.

Two Belgian tourists were abducted by bandits in the same region last wee. The female captive has been released but the man is still believed to be held.