QUETTA: Gunmen on Saturday freed 10 prisoners, including two convicts and took five police officials captive after they erected a roadblock near Mangocher on the Quetta-Karachi highway and intercepted the vehicle transporting prisoners to Quetta from Gadani jail.

The authorities were using a private van to transport prisoners; the driver and the vehicle were released by the gunmen.

Officials said that a policeteam was shifting 10 prisoners to Quetta and the central jail in Mach from Gadani jail.

When the wagon reached the Mangocher area of the Kalat district in late evening, the armed men were blocking the national highway and inspecting every vehicle, including buses and trucks.

After they came across the prison van, they freed the prisoners and kidnapped five police personnel, who were guarding the van, along with their official weapons.

Two police personnel dressed in plainclothes, however, remained safe.The prisoners included one condemned prisoner who was awarded a death sentence and another was awarded life imprisonment and both were tried for killing their wives. Other prisoners allegedly involved in drug smuggling were coming to Quetta for their case hearing on May 5.

Officials said that security forces had launched a search operation in the hilly area of Mongochar and the surrounding areas to recover the hostages. No group has claimed responsibility for the incident.