Afghans fear Taliban may forcibly recruit youngsters as suicide bombers

Hundreds of Afghanistan residents now dread that the Taliban might recruit youngsters for their terror activities. It has been a little over a month since the Sunni Pashtun insurgents seized control of the country and since then they have not only foisted ultra-austere rules on residents but also launched multiple attacks. Meanwhile, residents fear that the insurgents could “brainwash” those under 18 years of age and turn them into suicide bombers and ambushers. 

Taliban ruled the country with an iron fist before US and allied forces ousted them in October 2001. During their rule, the insurgents recruited thousands of underage children for their terror operations, often forcefully. According to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Taliban began to force children into their ranks in 2015 by recruiting and giving them military training. It further said that the insurgents used madrassas or religious schools to train children aged between 13 and 17 in armed combat and then deploy them at various locations. Notably, the report also said that children, as young as 6 years old, have deployed to plant improvised explosive devices or used as suicide bombers. 

Meanwhile,the United Nations High Commissioner for Humans Rights Michelle Bachelet, has urged the Human Rights Council to take bold actions against the Talibs. It is imperative to note that the UN previously tried to safeguard minors by ratifying  its Convention on Rights of Child in 1994 making such recruitments illegal. Last month, Virginia Gamba, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict showed concern on the issue and urged for  "concrete measures" to tackle the violence. 

She said, " Today, I call on all parties, especially the Taliban, to prevent recruitment and use, abduction, and the killing and maiming of children and to cease all violations and urgently take concrete measures to protect children, schools, and hospitals, and mitigate child casualties." 

Fall of Kabul

After the Taliban stormed into Kabul on 15 August, Afghanistan president Ashraf Ghani resigned and fled the country with his associates. Since then, several persons have lost their lives in the chaos at the Hamid Karzai International Airport with thousands of people desperately trying to flee the country. This includes the death of at least 169 Afghans, 11 US Marines, a US Navy sailor, and a US Army soldier in a suicide bombing at the Abbey Gate of the Kabul airport on 26 August. This led to US airstrikes on terrorists belonging to ISIS-K which claimed responsibility for this attack.

(With inputs from ANI) 

Image: AP