YPG/PKK terror group continues recruitment of children in Syria

By Esref Musa and Ethem Emre Ozcan

AL-HASAKAH, Syria / ANKARA (AA) - The YPG/PKK terror group kidnapped and recruited another 15-year-old boy in the city of Al-Hasakah, northeastern Syria.

The terror group, which uses the label SDF, continues to use children as fighters, despite signing a deal with the UN on ending the recruitment of children.

On Jan. 26, YPG/PKK terrorists kidnapped Muhammed Azad Hasan, who was born in 2007 in Al-Hasakah, to recruit him in its “child fighter” squad, according to local sources.

The family of the boy has called for his release on social media.

The terror group kidnapped at least 19 children between Oct. 1 and Dec. 15 last year, according to a Syrian Human Rights Network (SNHR) report published on Dec. 16.

The terror group's recruitment and exploitation of children in the conflict-hit country was also reflected in UN reports.

On Jan. 16, 2020, the UN Human Rights Council shared findings that YPG/PKK terrorists are using children as fighters in Syria.

The YPG is the Syrian branch of the PKK, a designated terror group in the US, EU, and Turkiye. US support for the YPG-led SDF has significantly strained relations with Ankara.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkiye, the PKK has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.