Apparently dazed by the successes of the operations launched by the Nigerian Army against it, Boko Haram militants had resorted to the use of child suicide bombers to hit their targets.
While Nigerians are still grappling with this development, the group has revealed that it is training child soldiers to prosecute its war against Nigeria.
A media organisation associated with the group has published two images which reveal a military training camp for children in North-Eastern Nigeria.
The media organization described by the Long War Journal as the Media Wing of Boko Haram and called, Al-Urwa al-Wuthaqa, shows the children dressed in dark clothing with their heads covered by garments. In one photo, the children are aiming their guns while in another they are posing with the weapons.
The Long War Journal claims that both young girls and boys are present in the photos, while some are holding AK47 assault rifles, others are holding cutouts of weapons.
With this development, Boko Haram joins several other jihadist groups around the world in showcasing training for young children. In 2013, the Turkistan Islamic Party, an al Qaeda affiliated group that operates in Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, and Syria, released a video showing kids training in Pakistan.
The Taliban are also known to operate training camps, including those for suicide bombings, for youth in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Additionally, The Long War Journal has identified several training camps for children in Iraq and Syria.
These camps are run by jihadist groups such as the Islamic State, the Al Nusrah Front, Junud al Sham, and Ahrar al Sham.
