Abdurrahman Abu, member of Kurdistan Democratic Party of Syria (PDKS) and Kurdish National Council of Syria (ENKS), was kidnapped by the PYD group, according to local sources.

Abu was reportedly taken from his home in the town Afrin located in northern Aleppo to an undisclosed location.

It was the third time Abu as withheld by the PYD. Sources speaking to Anadolu Agency suggested that Abu might have been kidnapped due to his criticism over PYD using children fighters or collecting ransom from businesses.

In a report of Syrian Network of Human Rights published on Jan. 18, the PYD was accused of committing human rights violations ranging from ethnic cleansing to arbitrary detention or forced conscription.

A report by Amnesty International published on October 13, 2015, also accused the PYD of war crimes involving forced relocation of Arab and Turkmen population in northern Syria and wrecking civilian inhabited areas.

Turkey considers PYD and its armed branch YPG as the Syrian offshoot of PKK terror organization.

ENKS is a coalition of 12 Syrian Kurdish parties and known to have developed an opposition stance against PYD as the group became more dominant in northern Syria over time.

PDKS in the Syrian branch of Iraq Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) ruling party led by Massoud Barzani.