posted by his captors on youtube, the video shows 18-year-old amjaf kaluf being seized by rebel forceshave disappeared on both sides of this conflict. >> translator: he said, i am going to go fight. we begged him not to. >> reporter: according to them, he only recently joined a pro-regime militia group. >> translator: he's a teenager. you give them a gun and they feel all-powerful. >> reporter: an uncle risks reaching across the battle lines to a man who was once a friend, seeking any help from the opposition side. >> translator: you are my brother with every meaning of the word. if you can help us with this, a favor of a lifetime. >> reporter: but for the family, it is hard to hold out hope. >> translator: i'm afraid that there's no negotiating with them. >> reporter: in recent days the family has been torn between demands from his alleged captors for money, devastating news that he has been killed. like so many families of the disappeared, they have no idea what to believe. they, too, are caught in the crossfire. like our 13-year-old abdullah who has had to go into hiding as more ext