Pope Francis on Wednesday called for prayers for a group of nuns kidnapped by terrorists in the Syrian town of Maalula.

Pope Francis on Wednesday called for prayers for a group of nuns kidnapped by terrorists in the Syrian town of Maaloula.

"I invite you all to pray for the nuns of the Greek Orthodox convent of St Takla of Maalula in Syria who were forcibly taken away by armed men two days ago," Francis said at a general audience in St Peter's Square.

"We pray for these nuns and for all kidnap victims in the conflict," the Pope added.

Earlier on Tuesday, terrorists abducted 12 nuns from Mar Takla monastery, which lies in the historic town of Maaloula in Damascus, and moved them form to the nearby town of Yabroud.

"The 12 nuns were forced from the convent by an armed group who they went with on the road to Yabrud," which is in rebel hands, the Holy See's nuncio Mario Zenari said.

Reached by phone, the mother superior of the Saydnaya convent in Damascus province, Sivronia Nabhan, said she had spoken with her Maalula counterpart, who confirmed the nuns were in Yabroud.o