Damascus: Terrorists with the YPG, the PKK’s Syrian wing, opened fire on young recruits fleeing the group’s clutches in northeastern Syria.
YPG terrorists continue forcibly recruiting young men by separating them from their families in Deir el-Zour and Hassakeh provinces, where a large Arab population resides. According to local sources speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), at least one person was injured when the terrorists tried to round up more than a dozen young men in Qamishli city center in Hassakeh.
The terrorists regularly round up hundreds of young men in raids on houses and at checkpoints in the city centers. They also take them to training camps in Hassakeh province. It has been reported many times that the YPG terror group has been forcibly recruiting children between the ages of 11 and 16, separating minors from their families to fight illegally in the north of Syria and Iraq.
A Trafficking in Persons Report, published by the U.S. in June 2016, says that the YPG recruited and used boys and girls younger than 15 years and took them to training camps.
In addition to the U.S., several international human rights organizations and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have drawn attention to the PKK’s inhumane attitude.
According to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), recruiting and using persons under 15 years of age for militant purposes is regarded as a war crime.
Statements by surrendered terrorists also confirm the YPG and PKK’s crimes. Many terrorists that surrendered to Turkish security forces recounted the oppression they faced within the ranks of the group. According to some former terrorists, the PKK ringleaders risk the lives of others to save their own and threaten those planning to surrender with torture.
Last month, Arab residents of Deir el-Zour staged a demonstration against the YPG. Around 500 people gathered in the countryside of the province to protest discrimination against the local population, as well as poor living conditions and rampant corruption in the region. Protesters accused the terror group of depriving local people of basic services such as water and communication.
Deir el-Zour is a major trade link between Iran and Lebanon. Pipelines and trade routes from Iraq and Jordan pass through the province. – PNP
