Save the Children Organization: “Syrian Young being used by armed groups as porters, runners and human shields.”

The foreign-backed militant groups in Syria use children as young as eight years of age as ‘human shields,’ says a rights organization.

According to a recent report by Save the Children organization, some young boys in Syria are “being used by armed groups as porters, runners and human shields.”

The report said one monitoring group had documented the “deaths of at least 17 children associated with armed groups” since the start of the conflict in Syria two years ago.

“Many other children in armed groups have been severely injured; some have been permanently disabled,” Save the Children stated.

Unrest has gripped Syria since March 2011 and the government says the turmoil, which has killed many people, including large numbers of Syrian army and security personnel, is being orchestrated from outside the country.

Meanwhile, recent videos showed the commander of a US-backed militant group in Aleppo, northwestern Syria, saying that when the kids arrive, they are children, but when they leave, they become killing machines.