By Nicholas Kigondu | KBC

The two nuns abducted in Mandera district Monday by armed bandits are in Somalia.

Kenyan security forces confirmed that they were pursuing the kidnappers but said no progress had been made.

A top police official told AFP that they were collaborating with village elders in Somalia to negotiate with the bandits to release them.

The nuns were captured in Elwak in an early morning attack that saw the bandits make away with three vehicles, two of them belonging to the government and the other belonging to a school.

The nuns now confirmed as members of the little sisters of Jesus order were Identified as Caterina Giruado, 67, and Maria Teresa Oliviero, 61, both natives of Italy.

Elwak is one of the several frontier hotspots where two rival Somali clans have been fighting for years over access to water and pasture prompting the government to launch a crackdown.

Armed Somali gangs have carried out scores of kidnappings in recent months, targeting either foreigners or Somalis working with international organizations to demand ransom.

Aid groups said at least 24 aid workers, 20 of them Somalis had been killed so far in Somalia, with more than 100 attacks against Aid agencies.

Tension is reported to be high in the area following the attack.