ISIS Tortures and Abuses Kurdish Children While in Captivity

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria militants had beaten, tortured and abused Kurdish children who were taken from the Syrian city of Kobani. According to a report by the Human Rights Watch, a group based in New York, several Kurdish boys were beaten with electric cables and hoses while being held captives by ISIS. The boys were among the 250 students ISIS fighters had kidnapped in May from Kobani.

The young girls were reportedly released after a few hours, while about 150 boys remained in captivity. Human Rights Watch said about 50 had escaped, while ISIS released the rest of the students eventually. Fred Abrahams, a spokesman for the group, said that children have always suffered the horrors of torture and detention since the beginning of the Syrian civil conflict. He added that ISIS' abuse of children only strengthens the position that the extremist behaviour must be stopped.

Four of the Kurdish boys who were captured by ISIS revealed how they were beaten and tortured for four months. ISIS militants had also forced them to watch public beheadings and attacks. The children described how they were made to pray about five times a day and subjected to religious instruction. The Human Rights Watch reported that those who refused to follow were beaten.

The boys further revealed that their captors found excuses to beat them for no reason and forced them to learn verses in the Qur'an. Those who failed to learn the verses were beaten as punishment. When they were released, ISIS militants only said the children's religious education was done. The children had claimed ISIS had singled out those who have families fighting with Kurdish troops and abused them.

One boy told Human Rights Watch that ISIS militants had threatened the children and forced them to give the addresses of their families so they can "cut them up." The group said there were still other Kurdish children in captivity, including other hostages from Western countries and foreign journalists.

According to CNN, the children's hometown of Kobani has been the site of a battle between Kurdish and ISIS forces for weeks. Kurdish Peshmerga fighters have arrived as reinforcements, while the U.S.-led airstrikes continue.