Afghanistan Times
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AT Monitoring Desk-KABUL: The insurgents have been using children as their fighters in battles with security forces in southeastern Paktia province, a human right official showed concern over the practice, calling for end.
Saifur Rahman Niazai, Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) head for Paktia, said on Wednesday that the presence of children and youth in rebel’s ranks was concerning and against national and international laws.
“We are concerned about the safety of common people in the conflict and for his purposes we hold regular meetings with security institutions and ask militant groups to make sure people’s lives and properties are not harmed.”
Moreover, a religious scholar, Mualvi Ahmad Shah termed killing of innocent people as unlawful and said people’s lives, honor and properties should be protected during the war.
He added that bomb blast in public places like mosques were crime and had no justification.
This is not new, as in the past Human Rights Watch reported that Taliban forces have added scores of children to their ranks in violation of the international prohibition on the use of children soldiers.
According to report, Taliban have been training and deploying children for various military operations including the production and planting of improvised explosive devices.
It was also reported that child soldiers recruited by the Taliban were use in the battle to overrun the northern city of Kunduz province last year. Human Rights Watch reported 13 cases of children recruited to fight for the Taliban in that battle.
