Unidentified armed men attacked a temporary excise check post on the Taftan Highway near Dhadar on Monday , abducting three excise department officials and making off with two official vehicles and government-issued weapons, according to police.

Police said the excise department personnel were carrying out routine duty at the temporary check post when the attackers struck without warning, taking the officials, the vehicles and the weapons before fleeing the scene.

On being alerted, police and other law enforcement personnel reached the area and cordoned it off in an effort to trace the attackers. A search operation has since been launched to recover the abducted officials.

Police sources said an investigation into various aspects of the incident was under way, and that efforts were continuing to identify the attackers and determine their escape route.

This is a developing story. The Balochistan Dispatch will update this report as further details become available.