Geneva: Islamic State militants are selling abducted Iraqi children at markets as sex slaves, and killing other youth, including by crucifixion or burying them alive, a United Nations watchdog said on Wednesday.
Iraqi boys aged under 18 are increasingly being used by the militant group as suicide bombers, bomb makers, informants or human shields to protect facilities against U.S.-led air strikes, the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child said.
Children not only from Yazdi or Christian communities, but from Shia and Sunni sects are also being victimised, the UN report said.
Committee expert Renate Winter said, "The scope of the problem is huge and we are really deeply concerned at torture and murder of those children, especially those belonging to minorities, but not only from minorities."
"There was a video placed (online) that showed children at a very young age, approximately eight years of age and younger, to be trained already to become child soldiers." added Winter
He also said, ”We have had reports of children, especially children who are mentally challenged, who have been used as suicide bombers, most probably without them even understanding.”
Reports also said, ISIS is indulging in systematic sexual violence" of children whereas many children have been killed or badly injured in air strikes or shelling ,some had died of dehydration, starvation and heat.
