A relative of Syrian opposition leader Burhan Ghalyoun has been kidnapped in the city of Homs, the Al-Rai Al-Arabi news portal said on Tuesday, quoting opposition sources.
Three unknown men reportedly abducted Bushra az-Zein, 21, a daughter of Ghalyoun's female cousin, after breaking into her house. Az-Zein's mother, who was at home at that time, did not managed to stop the kidnappers, the website said.
The abduction follows the creation of the opposition Transitional National Council, intended to coordinate efforts aimed at toppling Syria President Bashar al-Assad, which was announced during a meeting of Syrian opposition leaders in Istanbul, Turkey, on Sunday. Ghalyoun, a Syrian-born political scientist at France's Sorbonne University, has been appointed the council's head.
More than 2,700 people have been killed in Syria since a popular uprising against Assad's authoritarian rule erupted in March, according to UN estimates.
