Almost every day, civilians are abducted under various pretexts by the occupying forces and especially by mercenaries hired by Turkey in Afrin. For mercenary groups like the Sultan Murad Brigade, abductions have become a profitable business model. Much of the groups' funding runs through ransom and robbery. As the ANHA news agency reports, the Sultan Murad Brigade has abducted five residents of the village of Qota in the district of Bilbile. The abductees are villagers Ahmed Reshid Mistefa, Aslan Shaban Seydo, Hamza Mistefa Mistefa, Abdulqadr Shaban Seydo and Mistefa Menan Seydo. It is unknown where they were taken.

The Human Rights Organisation Afrin-Syria has documented (as of December 2021) 686 killings of civilians and 8,455 abductions since the occupation of Afrin began in March 2018. About half of those abducted have disappeared to date, while another part continues to be held in torture centres. There are also repeated abductions to Turkey in violation of international law, where those affected are sentenced to many years in prison in terror trials.