Two Columbia women were robbed and assaulted Wednesday afternoon by two men on a footpath near Lake Elkhorn, Howard County police said.

The women, 79 and 80 and both Russian immigrants living at Owen Brown Place, were approached about 2 p.m.

The men said something the women couldn't understand and shoved one and took her purse, police said. The robbers also rifled through the other woman's pockets, police said.

The robbers fled toward Lake Elkhorn. Police did not say how much money was taken.