Two Czech women tourists kidnapped in western Pakistan

QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) - Unknown attackers have kidnapped two Czech women travelling in western Pakistan, officials of both countries said on Thursday.

The Czech Foreign Ministry said the two tourists - believed to be in their mid-twenties - were kidnapped on Wednesday after a van they were travelling in was stopped by assailants on the way from the border with Iran.

"The group took them out of the van together with their guard, who was later released," spokeswoman Johana Grohova said.

The identity of the assailants was unknown, she said. No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping nor made any demand for ransom.

The incident happened some 100 km (60 miles) east of the Iranian border in the province of Baluchistan at around 6:30 p.m.

Baluchistan Home Secretary Akbar Durrani said the kidnappers were driving a brown Land Cruiser.

"The kidnappers drove to an unknown place. The women had planned to go to India via Quetta and Lahore," he told Reuters.

Prague has declined to reveal the identity of the hostages. The Pakistani authorities said the women were both born in 1988.

(Reporting by Gul Yousafzai in Quetta and Jan Lopatka in Prague; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)