Syrian Rebels Accused of Using Child Soldiers

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The Syrian opposition army is being accused of using children to fight President Al-Asad’s soldiers. The United Nations’ special representative for children in armed conflict told reporters in New York on Monday that his office is receiving reports that the Free Syrian Army is using children below the age of 16 but that the reports have not been verified because Al-Asad has banned their entry into the country. The Free Syrian Army is comprised mainly of soldiers who defected from the ranks of the regular army and is leading the fight to topple the president. Meanwhile, Syrian authorities are preventing men of fighting age from fleeing the country. New restrictions issued on Saturday require males between 18 and 42 to check in with army recruitment and immigration offices before traveling to other countries. Reuters news agency reported a 60 per cent drop in the number of people fleeing the country since the new regulations went into effect on Saturday.