Five miners abducted in Pakistan

Five miners were today abducted from Pakistan's troubled Baluchistan province, a day after five persons were killed in a landmine explosion, highlighting the growing lawlessness in the area.

"Initially seven miners belonging to the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation were kidnapped but two were later freed by the armed men," a police official said, adding no militant group has so far claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.

He said the five miners who were still with the kidnappers had been taken to a mountainous region near Quetta.

The kidnapping came a day after the blast in Sibi that killed five persons.

Baluchistan has been hit hard by a separatist insurgency that was revived in 2004. The separatists believe that locals do not receive a fair share of the province's energy and mineral wealth.