An array of jihadist groups released over 200 Syrian Kurds kidnapped recently in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, a monitor group reported on Monday.

The Kurds were kidnapped on Sunday and Monday on checkpoints manned by jihadists in Idlib, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The UK-based watchdog group added that the Kurds were traveling back to the predominantly Kurdish city of Afrin in the northern province of Aleppo from the capital Damascus, the coastal city of Latakia and Lebanon as well, before their capture.

The Kurdish authorities in Afrin released three men of the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front in exchange for the kidnapped Kurds, according to the Observatory.

Earlier in the day, the pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV said the Nusra Front group kidnapped up to 300 Syrian Kurds in Idlib. Children were among those snatched from the town of Dana in the countryside of Idlib.

The Nusra Front and allied militants captured the entire city of Idlib late last month, making it the second provincial capital to fall out of the government control since the Islamic State (IS) group captured the entire city of al-Raqqa around two years ago. Endit

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