Two female American journalists who have been detained in North Korea are likely to have been sent to Pyongyang, sources in China familiar with North Korean affairs said Sunday.

The sources said Laura Ling and Euna Kim, reporters for the online media outlet Current TV, are probably in Pyongyang undergoing interrogation by North Korean intelligence and military officials.

The sources added that the North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency in an unprecedented move confirmed the detention of the two journalists. The confirmation suggests that the North's military and intelligence authorities are personally questioning the two Americans.

The detainment comes in the wake of Pyongyang's rejection of additional food aid from Washington.