More than 400 minors have been made to join the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group since early 2015 throughout areas under the group’s control in Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Tuesday.
Efe news agency cited SOHR as also reporting that at least 120 new jehadis have joined the ISIS since the beginning of the year, finding that “the last three months are considered the least in terms of proportion of joining ISIS by fighters from all nationalities since the declaration of its self-proclaimed ‘caliphate’ on June 28, 2014”.
The jehadi group continues “to attract and recruit children within its ranks under the so called ‘Ashbal al-Khilafah (lion cubs of the caliphate)”, SOHR noted, adding that the ISIS has recently opened youth recruitment offices in two Syrian cities, al-Mayadin and al-Bokamal.
“The organisation also induces the parents and guardians to send their sons to these camps where the children undergo training in Sharia and military courses,” the NGO documented in its report.