Armed Groups in Syria Recruit Children for Fighting, Save the Children Says

Increasing numbers of children are being recruited by the armed groups in Syria, the international 'Save the Children' Organization said in a report . BBC quoted the London-based organization as saying in its report ''Childhood Under Fire" that " some children are being forcibly recruited into military activities, and in some cases, children as young as eight have been used as human shields." The report also said that ''One group has documented the deaths of at least 17 children associated with armed groups since the start of the conflict,'' adding that ''many others have been severely injured and in some cases permanently disabled.'' The report echoes similar reports made public by the UN, as the UN official Radhika Kumaraswamy accused in a report last June the armed opposition of using children as fighters in violation of the international agreements banning children recruitment. The armed terrorist groups include mercenaries trained by Turkey and the US and funded by oil-rich countries. Turkey provides shelter to terrorists at the Syrian-Turkish borders before smuggling them into Syria to carry out acts of terrorism there.