Boys as young as five in new ISIS video
The latest propaganda video released by Islamic State shows what the group claims is the next generation of jihadists in training, some appearing as young as five.
The nine-minute video, released through social media on Monday, shows about 70 boys of various ages arranged in lines and participating in drills at the instruction of a man at the front of the group.
Most clad in camouflage fatigues, the children follow the instructor’s orders to squat, hold their arms out straight or above their heads, and shout out in response to his commands.
All of the children are wearing the black trademark ISIS headbands as they are put through their paces.
The video, reportedly filmed at the Al Farouk Institute for Cubs in Raqqa, Syria, describes the youngsters as the ‘next generation’ of ISIS.
The video is evidence supporting a United Nations Human Rights Council report last year which determined ISIS had established training camps to recruit kids under the guise of schooling.
Security analyst Ryan Mauro told the New York Post said that for people who believed the ISIS caliphate was the best place to be, they would want their family there too.
“For ISIS supporters, this is like signing your kid up for the best private school,” he said.
“ISIS is emphasising its child recruits because it obviously makes for good footage but also to emphasise this is a generational struggle.
“You can kill off the current leaders and fighters, but their kids will fight on. It makes it harder to celebrate ISIS’ losses if you know their manpower will be replenished with brainwashed children.”
Morning news break – February 25
