Two girls, identified as Meraf Adnan Khashou and Semiel Zidan Ismail born in 2008 and 2009 respectively, from al-Rasafa neighborhood in al-Qameshli city in rural Hasaka governorate, were abducted in the city for military conscription on October 17, 2023, by the Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF) al-Shabiba al-Thawriya, (Revolutionary Youth) faction, also known as the ‘Joanne Schurchkar’. They were taken to an SDF recruitment center in Hasaka governorate.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) notes that the two girls’ families have not been notified of what has happened to then, and they are forbidden to contact them or receive any visits from them. We are concerned that they 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.