Teenagers To Battle Islamic State In Mosul

(IBT)- Flouting international law, Iraqi security forces have reportedly recruited children as part of preparations for a planned assault on Islamic State group forces in Mosul, according to Human Rights Watch.

In a report published Tuesday, the global rights group cited witnesses and relatives who said two tribal militias recruited and drove at least seven children from a large displaced persons camp to a town near the northern city of Mosul on Aug. 14 as it plans an assault against terrorist group also known as ISIS.

While the ages of the allegedly recruited children are unknown, international law states soldiers should at least be 18 years old. Two trucks reportedly pulled into the Debaga camp, located roughly 25 miles south of Erbil, and left with 250 new recruits, seven of which were believed to be under 18.

The report stresses the teenagers volunteered to fight, but children are now involved on both sides of the conflict that’s engulfed Iraq and Syria. ISIS has reportedly been forcing and training children to fight for some time.

“The recruitment of children as fighters for the Mosul operation should be a warning sign for the Iraqi government,” HRW senior children’s rights research Bill Van Esveld said. “The government and its foreign allies need to take action now, or children are going to be fighting on both sides in Mosul.”

While the United States-backed Iraqi government is expected to retake Mosul from ISIS by the end of the year, Van Esveld also called on the U.S. to prevent any child’s participation in the conflict.

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