According to a Friday statement by a Western-backed opposition group calling itself Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the extremist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, widely believed to be linked to al-Qaeda, invaded the village of Ihras, 20 kilometers south of the town of Azaz, and captured the villagers, abducting at least 120, including at least six women.

Since the end of July, the ISIL and al-Nusra Front, another al-Qaeda-linked group, have kidnapped several hundred Syrian Kurds, including women and children.

On August 5, al-Nusra Front terrorists attacked the Tal Abyad district of Raqqa province in Syria, massacring 330 women and elderly men as well as 120 children.

A recent British defense study showed that about 100,000 militants, fragmented into 1,000 groups, are fighting in Syria against the government and people.

The extracts of the study by defense consultancy IHS Jane's were published on September 16.

IHS Jane's estimates that some 10,000 militants are fighting for groups affiliated with al-Qaeda such as the al-Nusra Front and the rest fight for different militant groups.

The analysis also said that a large number of extremists from foreign countries are also active in Syria.

Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since March 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey -- are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.

According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have been killed and a total of 7.8 million of others displaced due to the violence.

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