Dozens of gunmen from criminal gangs kidnapped seven police from a checkpoint in Punjab on Sunday, officials said. The kidnapping, and further fighting between insurgents and the military in the north-west of the country, underscored the range of security problems facing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Sunday's attack, by gunmen from different gangs, targeted a police checkpoint in Obaro, inside Punjab but at the intersection of three provinces, said District Police Officer Sohail Chatha.
"We have launched a rescue operation," he said.
A statement from PM's office said he took "serious notice" of the kidnapping.