ISIS released video today of a training camp of “caliphate cubs” in Mosul that shows boys being groomed for jihad with live-fire exercises and abusive adult trainers.
The boys are masked in the video except for mealtime, when the camera pans away from their faces. Their higher voices and average heights suggest mostly pre-pubescent boys to some in their early teens.
The release comes as ISIS is preparing for its one-year anniversary of sacking Mosul and establishing the caliphate on June 29. The group has put heavy emphasis on raising younger generations as jihadis, including boys who were already living in areas seized by ISIS and children brought to the Islamic State by their parents.
The full video was viewed by PJM. Here are some images captured from the 7-minute film.