JeM, Hizbul used children to clash with Indian soldiers, claims UN report

According to a UN report today, 28th June 2018, Pakistan-based banned terror outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen recruited and used children in Jammu and Kashmir during clashes with security forces last year.

The annual report of the UN Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict, covered the January-December 2017 period claiming that globally over 10,000 children were killed or disabled in conflict last year while more than 8,000 were recruited or used as combatants.

War-torn Syria, Afghanistan, and Yemen and also the situation in India, the Philippines and Nigeria which were 20 in all, covered in the report.

On the situation in India, the report of UNSG Antonio Guterres said children continued to be affected by incidents of violence between armed groups and the government forces, particularly in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and during tensions in Jammu and Kashmir.

It said three incidents of recruitment and use of children by the two terror outfits were reported in Jammu and Kashmir during clashes with the security forces. But nothing like “grave violations”.

“unverified” reports also indicate use of children as informants and spies by the security forces said the report. In fact there was one case attributed to Jaish-e-Mohammed and two to Hizbul Mujahideen.

The UN said it continued to receive reports of recruitment and use of children, including by the Naxalites, particularly in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. “Naxalites reportedly resorted to the use of a lottery system to muster children in Jharkhand,” it said, adding children continued to be killed and injured during operations of security forces against armed groups.

According to government data, the report said 188 civilians were killed in Naxal-affected regions, but there was no confirm data on children which were available.

This year in the month of March, a 15-year-old boy was killed during clash between the security forces and Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists in Padgampora village of Pulwama district.

Guterres asked the Indian government to put in place measures to hold perpetrators of child recruitment and use to account and engage with the UN to end and prevent violations against children.

In Jharkhand, the report said, suspected Naxalites attacked a school in Khunti district, partially destroying it. With regard to military use, the occupation of over 20 schools was documented by the Central Reserve Police Force in Srinagar, Kashmir, in April.

“Increased tensions in Jammu and Kashmir reportedly also led to closure of school for varying periods, including in Rajouri (65) and Poonch (76) districts,” it said.

In Pakistan, the report said, the UN continued to receive reports of the recruitment and use of children, including from madrassas, also, the alleged use of children by armed groups for suicide attacks.

In January, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan released a video showing children, including girls, being instructed how to perpetrate suicide attacks.

While there was no mention of specified age in data on civilian casualties then incidents of children killed and injured attacks in Pakistan by armed groups in the report.

It quoted a suicide attack in Sehwan, Sindh Province in February in which at least 75 people, including 20 children, were killed. Also eight attacks on educational facilities and students, including four targeting girls’ schools.

In March, unidentified people damaged the Oxford Public School, located in Ghizer Valley in Gilgit-Baltistan, and threatened to bomb the school if female teachers did not cover themselves. Also, a girls’ school located in Qila Abdullah in Balochistan Province was damaged in an IED attack.

Guterres said he is “concerned” by the continued attacks on schools by armed groups, particularly the targeting of girls’ education. He called on the Pakistan government to prioritise measures to deter future attacks on schools.

In Afghanistan, there were 3,179 verified cases of children being killed and maimed in 2017 in the conflict-related violence. An increase in child casualties resulting from aerial operations remained a concerning trend, with 27 child casualties resulting from cross-border shelling out of Pakistan.

With reports of over 21,000 violations committed against children in 2017, Guterres expressed outrage over the rise in the number of children affected by fighting globally.

“Boys and girls have once again been overly impacted by protracted and new violent crisis. Despite some progress, the level of violations remains unacceptable,” he said in a statement.

The UN Chief reiterated that the best way to address this horrific situation is to promote peaceful solutions to conflicts and called on all parties to exert maximum efforts in this regard.

The UN’s expert on Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, said 66 parties to conflict are listed this year – three more than in the 2016 report – with nine government forces and 57 armed groups being named.

“Among the most significant violations registered in 2017 were killing and maiming, recruitment and use and attacks on schools and hospitals, all of which registered a rise in comparison to the previous year,” she told reporters here.

She also added over 1,000 children in Iraq are held for their suspected affiliation with the Islamic State terror group regarding the number of children detained for their alleged association with armed groups.

She concluded saying there were some positive developments, like release of over 10,000 child soldiers from armed groups and forces.

Also read: J&K report by UN is ‘motivated’ says Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat