Reports have emerged of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)-linked group "Revolutionary Youth" forcibly abducting children in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava), separating them from their families, and recruiting them as fighters. The alleged incidents have escalated since March 2025, coinciding with ongoing negotiations between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Damascus government over the SDF’s potential integration into the Syrian army.

Families Plead for Their Children’s Return

In a heartbreaking video statement, the mother of 15-year-old Hanan Abdulrahman Abdo revealed that her daughter was kidnapped by the PKK in Kobani.

"Our daughter was taken while she was in the sixth grade. We are displaced from Afrin and came to Kobani because of the war. We demand Mazloum Abdi [SDF Commander] return our child. If not, I will set myself on fire," she said.

Her plea follows another desperate appeal from a father in Qamishli, who threatened self-immolation if his two kidnapped daughters were not released. Tragically, such cases are not new—in 2015, Kurdish father Faisal Mustafa died after setting himself on fire when he was barred from contacting his daughter, who had joined the PKK-aligned Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) against his will.

UN Accusations and Ongoing Violations

The "Revolutionary Youth" has reportedly kidnapped dozens of minors, despite repeated calls from imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan for the group to disband. The United Nations has previously accused the faction of child abductions and forced recruitment in Syrian Kurdistan.

The SDF, which maintains ties with the PKK, has yet to publicly address the recent allegations. Meanwhile, families of the abducted children continue to protest, demanding immediate action to reunite them with their loved ones.

As tensions rise, human rights organizations are urging international intervention to halt the recruitment of child soldiers and hold perpetrators accountable.