Umar Ahmed Haque plotted to use 55 children in attacks throughout London. The plot appears to have inspired by the Islamic State’s use of boys in suicide attacks, executions and other terrorist operations. Thirty-five (35) of the children “require longer-term support” after Haque showed them grisly videos and scared them into submission.
While the Islamic State gets most of the attention for its training of children, several other jihadist groups in Syria, many of which foreign al Qaeda groups, also do the same.
The Turkistan Islamic Party continues to highlight children in jihadist training. It is known to operate training camps for minors in both Syria and in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.
Two children fire a howitzer towards Iraqi Security Force positions in the Baiji oil refinery. Prior to this video, the Islamic State has shown kids conducting and assisting in executions. They are part of the “Cubs of the Caliphate,” which is what the jihadist group calls those children it trains in various training camps in Iraq and Syria.