Government officials said the American Refugee Committee (ARC) workers were kidnapped on Monday in Pishin district, about 50 kilometres north of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province.

"All of them are Pakistani employees of the American NGO. We have launched an operation to trace them," Abdul Mansoor, deputy Pishin district commissioner, told AFP by telephone.

"They were coming back after distributing food at an Afghan refugee camp. Their vehicle was intercepted and they were kidnapped at gunpoint. Their vehicle was also taken," Mansoor said.

Officials said they feared the kidnappers may have moved the hostages to the mountainous area along the Afghan border, about 30 kilometres away.

A local ARC official confirmed the kidnapping, but refused to speak on the record or provide further details.

The Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility, saying the kidnapping was in retaliation for fresh military operations.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011