Taliban Employ Children To Plant IEDs

Just when you think that the Taliban can't sink any lower, the insurgents resort to using children as young as five to plant deadly IEDs.

In the past five months the number child insurgents has increased almost fivefold in the town of Sangin, to a band of 40, who are used to run weapons, plant bombs and carry out tasks for the Taliban, The Daily Telegraph has learnt.

According to military intelligence sources there are about 12 children being routinely used in the Sangin area just to plant bombs.

The Taliban have resorted to the tactic because they know that British troops are unlikely to fire on children planting IEDs (improvised explosive devices). They have also been forced into the change because sophisticated surveillance technology is able to pick up Taliban IED planting teams and take action against them.

On one occasion surveillance cameras picked up two children under 10 walking along the main road with one placing an IED in a hole followed by another covering it up with a bag of stone and earth.

"They know that we won't engage the kids," said an intelligence source with 40 Commando, Royal Marines, based in Sangin. "The kids are less aware of the risks and will to do anything for a quick buck.

"But it's really exploiting children. The parents are upset they do this but they are very, very intimidated by the Taliban."

There have been 44 roadside bombs in Sangin in the past months, a fifth were carried out by children.

By: Shelldrake