YPG/PKK terror group kidnaps 2 children in northern Syria to recruit for militancy

By Esref Musa

TEL ABYAD, Syria (AA) – The terrorist organization PKK/YPG kidnapped on Tuesday two children in the Shehba region of Syria's Aleppo and Hasakah province, which it has occupied, to recruit them into its armed ranks.

Redor al-Ahmed, spokesperson for the opposition Kurdish group "Independent Kurdish Association," told Anadolu that PKK/YPG terrorists kidnapped a 14-year-old in Aleppo's Shehba region and a 13-year-old in Hasakah.

Ahmed noted that the terrorists prevent kidnapped children from contacting their families and take them to training camps for armed instruction.

He said since the beginning of the year, the PKK/YPG terrorist organization has kidnapped over 35 children from the areas it occupies in Aleppo, Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, and Hasakah to recruit them for militancy.

- PKK/YPG forcibly recruited 231 children in Syria in 2023

The UN's 2023 "Children and Armed Conflict" report stated that the PKK/YPG and its affiliates, operating under the name "SDG" in Syria, forcibly recruited 231 children.

According to the report, the PKK/YPG and other groups killed or maimed eight children and converted 31 schools and hospitals into bases for their armed activities in Syria.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern over the high number of grave violations against children in Syria, emphasizing the need for compliance with international humanitarian and human rights laws.

He demanded the unconditional and immediate release of all children, an end to attacks on schools and hospitals, and that these structures not be used for militancy purposes.