QUETTA: The tribal Levies policing force on Tuesday freed 12 abducted Afghan nationals after an exchange of gunfire with their kidnappers in Balochistan’s Chaghi district.

Levies sources told Dawn.com that an operation was conducted near the Pakistan-Iran border in district Chaghi to free 12 kidnapped Afghan nationals.

The Levies personnel faced resistance from the kidnappers and an exchange of gunfire continued for over an hour.

“Four kidnappers were also arrested during the operation,” said a source, giving no details about the identity of kidnappers.

Levies also recovered two Kalashnikov rifles, two vehicles and 25 mobile phones from the possession of the kidnappers.

More Levies personnel were called in to the area to arrest the remaining kidnappers, sources said.

Kidnapping gangs are reported to be active Balochistan’s Chaghi district, which borders neighbouring Afghanistan and Iran.

Chaghi is also considered to be a transit route for drug traffickers from Afghanistan's Helmand province to the Gulf countries and Iran.