In a troubling incident in the town of Qamishli, northeastern Syria, the PYD terrorist militia has kidnapped two underage girls with the intent of forcibly recruiting them into its forces. The girls, identified as Merav and Semel, both under 18 years old, were abducted on October 17, 2023, in front of their grandfather’s house in the Masaken Al-Rusafa neighborhood.
Dindar Khashu, a relative of the two girls, disclosed the incident to Rudaw Media Network, expressing concern as the girls have not returned since their abduction. According to Khashu, the Women’s Protection Units, affiliated with the PYD terrorist militia, carried out the kidnapping. However, the PYD militia denies any responsibility for forced conscription, asserting that the two girls had not been coerced and joined voluntarily, a claim refuted by Khashu who emphasized their status as minors.
The Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) voiced its condemnation of the incident, highlighting the absence of substantial pressure from the international community and human rights institutions on the PYD terrorist militia. The SOC warns that the lack of intervention may embolden the militia to persist in kidnapping children and subjecting them to forced conscription, often placing them in their own camps.
Alarming statistics provided by the United Nations reveal a concerning trend, stating that 829 children have so far been recruited by the PYD militia. The report notes an 80% increase in the number of children recruited over the past two years. The international community now faces growing calls to address and curb these human rights abuses perpetrated by the PYD terrorist militia in northeastern Syria.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
