PKK/YPG terrorists kidnap another minor in Syria

TEL ABYAD, Syria

A minor in northern Syria was kidnapped by the terrorist group PKK/YPG, the spokesman of a Kurdish opposition group said on Monday.

Identified only by the initials A.H., the 14-year-old from the northern Syrian province Raqqa was abducted by the PKK/YPG, the Independent Kurdish Rabita's spokesperson Redor al-Ahmed told Anadolu.

Ahmed said the terror group isolates abducted children from their families and takes them to camps for arms training. The use of minors as combatants is a violation of international law.

Since the start of the year, the terrorist PKK/YPG has reportedly abducted more than 20 children across Syria’s Aleppo, Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, and Hasakah provinces, aiming to enlist them into its armed ranks.

Over 1,200 children kidnapped in 2022

UN figures show that in 2022, the PKK and its Syrian branch, the YPG, abducted and coerced over 1,200 children into fighting in its ranks.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed grave concern over the exploitation of children by the PKK, urging an end to their recruitment and the release of all children held in the terror group.

In its nearly 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is PKK’s Syrian offshoot.​​​​​​​