At least 19 passengers were abducted after armed men stopped a coach on the Guddu-Kashmore link road in Ghotki district, police said on Tuesday, adding that 15 of the captives have been rescued in a joint operation.

According to police, the incident occurred near Ubauro when more than two dozen armed attackers opened fire on a passenger bus travelling from Sadiqabad to Quetta late at night.

The assailants fled after kidnapping 19 passengers and attempting to move them towards the riverine (katcha) area.

Police and Rangers launched an immediate operation, using drones to track the suspects.

Authorities said 15 passengers have so far been recovered, while efforts are underway to secure the release of the remaining captives. The operation has entered its final phase.

Police confirmed that one passenger died after suffering a heart attack while hiding in nearby sugarcane fields to escape the attackers. The deceased was identified as Karim Bakhsh Baloch. His body was recovered from the fields and shifted to Ubauro hospital.

More than five injured passengers were moved to a hospital in Rahim Yar Khan.

DIG Sukkur Faisal Abdullah Chachar said all routes leading to the katcha area were sealed during the overnight operation, preventing the kidnappers from moving the hostages deeper into the riverine belt.

He said several suspects were injured during exchanges of fire.

Recovered passengers include Zulfiqar, Abdul Nabi, Umair, Syed Ali Imad and Feroz Irfan, among others. Police said dense fog hampered the operation.

Senior officers, including the SSPs of Khairpur, Sukkur and Ghotki, are part of the ongoing crackdown.

Police said raids and checkpoints remain in place as efforts continue to recover the remaining abductees and arrest those responsible to restore law and order in the district.