A 15-year-old boy, identified as Omar Helal al-Hamdi, was abducted for military conscription on November 4, 2023, by personnel from the Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF) al-Shabiba al-Thawriya, (Revolutionary Youth) faction, also known as the ‘Joanne Schurchkar’. Omar was abducted while he was travelling from his home village of Mashrafat al-Bwayyer to Manbij city in eastern rural Aleppo governorate. He was taken to an SDF recruitment center.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) notes that Omar’s family has not been notified of what has happened to him, and he is forbidden to contact them or receive any visits from them. We are concerned that he will be forced to participate in direct and indirect military action.
It should be noted that approximately 296 children are currently conscripted in SDF military training camps.
