AT News
KABUL: The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission has expressed its deep concern over the existing of children fighters among the conflict sides in northern Badakhshan province.
Head of Badakhshan Human Rights Commission, Arifa Naveed said that their investigation in Baharak, Jarom,Yardoj, Yamgan and several other districts had shown that war parties abuse children as fighters.
With the children bearing difficult situations in the relentless clashes, Naveed blamed the related parties for violating the human and children rights.
“The children who should go to school, instead handed the guns to engage in the fighting,” she added.
She said that the commission shared the issue with the provincial officials but no progress had been made in regards.
The security officials in the province accepted the presence of teenagers in the armed groups but said that the recruitment of underage people was limited in the security system and is also considered illegal.
The human rights activists expressed concern on the issue, saying that if the government didn’t pay attention to these underage fighters, the ground would be paved for more violence against teenagers in the country.