Middle East: Houthi militia drives thousands of children to front lines
Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper revealed on Sunday that the Houthi militia, which is backed by Iran, used thousands of children who took them from the villages and cities under its control to participate in the fighting.
The newspaper quoted local sources in the governorates of Hajjah, Al Mahwit, Dhamar, and Ibb, as recently as dozens of children have disappeared, which is likely to lead them to be recruited into the recruitment camps by the Houthi group.
The newspaper pointed out that citizens in the province of Dhamar reported the disappearance of dozens of children under the age of eighteen, who left their homes and did not return to it, which is the same incident that activists spoke about in Hajjah and Al Mahwit governorates.
The newspaper pointed out that the child recruits undergo a doctrinal Houthi course in which they are taught the “Khomeinist lieutenant” before being attached to another short course, in which they are trained to use personal weapons before the terrorist group throws them to the front lines.
The newspaper highlighted warnings that more than 30,000 children have been recruited by the group, who are facing death threats and violations of their rights.
