Pak says security forces rescued 4 kidnapped Iranian soldiers

Pakistan has claimed to have rescued four kidnapped Iranian soldiers from terrorists in the restive Balochistan province bordering Afghanistan.

The Pakistan Army said that forces carried out an operation following a tip-off that extremists from a banned outfit had brought soldiers from Afghanistan to a "transitional hideout" in Amori area of Chaghai district of the province.

"After an exchange of fire, four Iranian soldiers were rescued," it said on Wednesday.

At least 12 Iranian security personnel, including members of the Revolutionary Guards, were kidnapped near the Pakistan border in October last year.

Jaish al-Adl, an anti-Shiite and anti-Iran terrorist group, had claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.

The kidnapping led to a public spat between Pakistan and Iran, which accused extremists hiding in Pakistan of carrying out attacks inside Iran.