Foreign-backed militants operating inside Syria have kidnapped 12 nuns from a convent in the Christian town of Ma'loula.
According to local authorities, who spoke on condition of anonymity on Tuesday, the militants took the nuns to the nearby town of Yabrud after they stormed the convent on Monday.
There is no word on the fate of the nuns, but militants are usually known to kill people they kidnap.
The militants fighting against the Syrian government had attacked Ma'loula, which is regarded as a symbol of the ancient Christian presence in Syria, early in September and captured some parts of it. However, they were pushed out of the town by the Syrian troops.