QUETTA, March 21: Law-enforcement agencies on Sunday recovered 15 passengers, who had been kidnapped on Feb 27, following an encounter with kidnappers in a hilly area of Ziarat.

"Forces have safely recovered all the 15 hostages after a gun-battle with kidnappers," said Home Secretary Abdul Rauf, adding two kidnappers were killed and five others arrested during the operation.

Sources said that Major Zafar of the Frontier Corps and the administrative district officer of Duki, Kumil Ali, were wounded in the encounter with outlaws who were perched on the mountains between Chotar and Ziarat.

The injured were taken to the CMH Loralai. The Frontier Corps, Balochistan Reserve Police and Levies had cordoned off the area and the operation was continuing when this report was filed.

The passengers were brought to Loralai for a medical check-up. Hospital sources said all the 15 people - eight men, three women, and four children - were 'fine and healthy'.

The gang had kidnapped the passengers of a Loralai-bound bus coming from Dera Ghazi Khan on Feb 27 and taken them away to the mountainous area. The law-enforcement agencies had chased the kidnappers soon after the incident and killed one of them and injured two others when they were trying to fire a rocket on them. Ringleader Jalil Jaffar had demanded the release of two members of his gang.