QUETTA: Security forces recovered four kidnapped Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) employees during a search operation in Balochistan's Zhob district on Wednesday morning.

According to a Frontier Corps spokesman, the four PTCL employees were recovered unhurt during the operation conducted in Zhob's Qamaruddin Karez area. Militants had kidnapped six employees of PTCL from Murgha Kibzai a week ago.

Examine: Six PTCL employees kidnapped in Zhob

Security forces launched a massive search operation involving more than 200 personnel backed by helicopters to ensure the recovery of the abducted employees. Militants had killed four hostages, including two polio and two levies personnel, in the same area on Tuesday.

Take a look: Bodies of levies personnel, polio worker found in Zhob

"Some important arrests have also been made in the operation," the Frontier Corps official told Dawn on the condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to media. He did not mention the exact number of arrested militants.

Security forces have stepped up search operations in the area in the aftermath of kidnappings of more than a dozen people in the past one month.

Zhob is considered to be one of the sensitive districts of Balochistan since it borders with the country's volatile tribal belt. It is also considered to be a transit point for militants sneaking from neighbouring Afghanistan and the tribal belt of Pakistan.