As much of the world's attention shifts towards the bloody rampage of the "Islamic State" (IS) terrorist group through Iraq and Syria, the equally bloody civil war between the regime of Bashar al-Assad and Syrian rebels continues with no end in sight. A recent UN report noted that despite IS's gratuitous brutality, the Assad regime was still responsible for the majority of war crimes committed in Syria. Just yesterday, at least six children and numerous other civilians were among the dead in air raids near on a rebel-held town near the city of Homs. Indeed, amid all the suffering it is the children of Syria who tend to suffer the most - not only as victims of indiscriminate shelling but also as child soldiers on the front line. A Lebanese TV report has once again highlighted the increasingly common site of children as young as 12 fighting alongside older rebels, as opposition forces seek to replenish their ranks faster than they are decimated by three and a half years of fighting. One rebel "veteran" even claimed children make better soldiers than grown men - because they follow orders unquestioningly. The report by LDC/LBC TV, translated by MEMRI, tells the tragic story of Midyan Abu Al-Qa'qa, a 12-year-old sniper who also has experience firing mortars. Already battle-hardened, he says he "feels nothing" when he pulls the trigger. He signed up to fight for the rebel battalion (the name of which is not provided in the clip), after his father was killed fighting in Idlib province. Late last year , MEMRI produced a disturbing collection of clips, taken from Arabic media, showing children - some even younger than Midyan - taking part in the fighting against the regime.
