QUETTA: Three government officials and a tribal elder sent by the authorities to negotiate release of two senior officials kidnapped in Tump area of Kech district on Thursday were themselves taken away by militants on Friday.

The banned Baloch Liberation Front claimed responsibility for both the kidnapping incidents.

Deputy Commissioner of Kech district, Abdul Hameed Abro, and Assistant Commissioner of Tump, Mohammad Hussain Baloch, were kidnapped on Thursday when they were returning to Turbat from the border town of Tump after a meeting with Iranian officials.

According to official sources, provincial authorities sent Assistant Commissioner of Dasht, Naeem Gichki, Tehsildar of Dashtan, Ahmed Ali, and Naib Tehsildar of Buleda, Rafiq Ahmed, to the area to approach the insurgents and negotiate the release of the kidnapped officials.

But when the team accompanied by two Levies personnel and a tribal elder, Mir Dost Muhammad, reached Gomazai area, their vehicle was intercepted by a group of gunmen and they were taken away.

But later the kidnappers freed the Levies men.

Balochistan Home Secretary Asadur Rehman Gilani told Dawn that efforts were being made to recover the kidnapped people. He said he himself would go to Turbat on Saturday to oversee the efforts.

Meanwhile, the provincial authorities met on Friday to discuss the situation.

A correspondent from Gwadar quoted the commissioner of Makran division as saying that tribal elders of the area had been contacted and their help had been sought.

Calling from an unspecified place on satellite phone, BLF spokesman Gohram Baloch told reporters: “The kidnapped officials will be presented before a BLF court which will decide their fate.”