Tabqa people reveal how IS turned children into suicide bombers

TABQA, Syria (Kurdistan24) – On Tuesday, civilians in the recently liberated Syrian town of Tabqa revealed horrific atrocities committed by the Islamic State (IS) when the group controlled the city over the past two years.

In the town's main square, people talked to Kurdistan24 on condition of anonymity as some of their relatives remain trapped in the city of Raqqa, IS's de facto capital in northern Syria.

“Daesh [IS] militants used to force children to attend the public executions in the main square, and after some time, some of those children disappeared,” said Hasan, preferring not to use his real name.

Another witness who spoke with Kurdistan24 said two of his relatives' children in Tabqa went missing last year and were recently seen in a video released by IS in Mosul.

Ali, a worker in the town square's market, talked about the public executions conducted by IS.

“The victims were blindfolded, hung on this metal cross, and then were shot. The bodies were left hanging for three to four days,” he said.

Ahmad, another witness from Tabqa, talked about beheadings IS carried out against soldiers of the Syrian army.

“Soldiers and security elements of the Syrian army were executed in Tabqa's military airbase, and some were beheaded here,” he said, referring to the main square where executions used to take place.

Ahmad further pointed out that the word "beheading" had become a nightmare to people in the town.

“People were hiding to evade arbitrary arrests,” he said.

According to witnesses, about 175 people were killed in said square.

Witnesses said IS insurgents made themselves known to people as terrifying and barbaric criminals, sowing fear and panic in the hearts of the citizens.

Tabqa was liberated about two weeks ago and came under the full control of the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

(Additional reporting by Kurdistan24 correspondent Redwan Bezar)

Editing by G.H. Renaud