A group of Iranians abducted in south-eastern Iran and taken to neighboring Pakistan were released during a military operation early Monday morning, the official IRNA news agency reported.

The operation was launched by Pakistan's security forces in the country's Balochistan province, southwest of Pakistan, deputy governor for security affairs of Iran's southeastern Sistan- Baluchestan province Mohsen Sadeqi told IRNA.

The hostages were released after their kidnappers' hideout was surrounded by Pakistani forces, Sadeqi said, without mentioning the number of the released Iranians.

Iran's state-run Press TV channel reported on its website that Pakistani security forces have secured the release of 21 Iranian taken hostages by gunmen and arrested 18 terrorists in armed clashes.

Early on Sunday, the gunmen blocked a road in Iran's province of Sistan-Baluchestan and took some passengers hostage after burning and opening fire at passing cars. They then transported their captives to Pakistan.

Iranian media's reports gave conflicting numbers for the hostages. Some previous reports said as many as 31 were held, while others gave much lower numbers for those taken.

Southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province and its nearby province of Kerman have been hit by a string of attacks and kidnappings in the past years, which the Iranian authorities blamed on a Sunni group called Jundallah.

Last Sunday, two Belgian tourists were kidnapped by bandits while visiting the historic sites near the ancient city of Bam in Kerman. The female one was soon released, but the man was still believed to be held.

(Xinhua News Agency August 21, 2007)