QUETTA, July 1: Gunmen kidnapped a Swiss couple who were travelling in Loralai district on Friday.

The gunmen who were in a car intercepted the vehicle of the tourists in Killi Niga area of Manara, about 250km northeast of here, Loralai DPO Ghulam Ali Lashari told this correspondent.

He said Ocholivier David and his wife Wipmerderielayy Omer had entered Loralai from Dera Ghazi Khan.

At a police checkpost, they registered themselves as tourists from Switzerland and were allowed to enter B-Area which is under the control of Levies Force station in Sirki jungle.

The DPO said the foreigners’ vehicle was found abandoned in Manara.

Personnel of Frontier Corps, police and Levies are trying to trace the couple and nab the suspects. Home department sources said an investigation was under way and a team of senior security officials had been sent to the area to supervise the search operation.

Officials said there used to be an Afghan refugee camp in the area set up during the Gen Ziaul Haq regime.

AFP adds: We have received reports that two Swiss nationals have been kidnapped in Loralai, Balochistan Home Secretary Zafarullah Baloch said. Nobody has yet claimed responsibility for the incident or contacted the authorities about the kidnapped foreigners, he said.

The Swiss Foreign Ministry said it was aware of the information about a possible kidnapping case in Pakistan. It was in contact with local authorities but could not give further details, the ministry added.

It advised Swiss citizens against non-essential travel to Pakistan due to different, high risks. Among these were a high risk of kidnapping and a threat of armed attacks in Balochistan, Sindh and south Punjab, the ministry said.