Muslim terrorist group ISIS has released a series of horrific photographs on social media showing young children in soldier uniforms being trained to use assault rifles to kill people in an attempt to establish a caliphate, or Islamic State, throughout Iraq and Syria.
Photos released by ISIS militants and exposed by The Daily Mail show many children using highly dangerous weapons such as AK47s at a training school near the Syrian capital of Damascus.
Called "caliphate cubs," the children, who appear to be about ten, are pictured holding the weapons while standing in front of ISIS' infamous black flag.
In other photos, the children are depicted performing fitness tests and military drills, training them to survive of the frontline.
A CNN report from September shared the story of a 13-year-old boy who escaped one of these camps, and said that he witnessed militants carry out beheadings, stonings and a crucifixion.
"They used to bring young [kids] to the camp to lash them," the boy said.
"When we go to the mosque, they order us to come the next day at a specific time and place to [watch] heads cut off, lashings or stonings. We saw a young man who did not fast for Ramadan, so they crucified him for three days, and we saw a woman being stoned [to death] because she committed adultery."
Over the past several weeks, ISIS insurgents have increased their attacks on Syria in an attempt to capture the country's last remaining military air base. On Friday, a battle between militants and Syrian soldiers at al-Jafra village near the military airport left dozens dead and hundreds injured.
The Islamic militants have frequently been accused of carrying out violence against young children. Last week, Canon Andrew White, or "The Vicar of Baghdad" revealed that four Iraqi Christian children had been beheaded by ISIS for refusing to renounce the name of Jesus Christ and convert to Islam.
"ISIS turned up and they said to the children, 'you say the words that you will follow Muhammad.' The children, all under 15, four of them, they said, 'no, we love Yasua [Jesus]. We have always loved Yasua. We have always followed Yasua. Yasua has always been with us.'" White said.
"[The Militants] said, 'say the words!' [The Children] said, 'no, we can't do that.' They chopped all their heads off."
According to reports, Christian men and women are mercilessly slaughtered by the militants, and hundreds more children are being either beheaded and their bodies cut in half.
In an interview with CNN earlier this year, Chaldean-American businessman Mark Arabo highlighted the unspeakable acts Sunni extremists are committing against Christians in Iraq.
"There is a park in Mosul, where [ISIS] they actually beheaded children and put their heads on a stick and have them in the park," he explained. "More children are getting beheaded, mothers are getting raped and killed, and fathers are being hung."
ISIS militants are also kidnapping and selling off baby girls as sex slaves; according to a recent pricing guide released by ISIS, Christian and Yazidi girls aged 1-9 are sold into slavery for less than $200 to fund militant activity.
A United Nations report has also revealed that ISIS militants are using children as human shields in battle and also force them to donate blood to wounded ISIS fighters.
While a U.S.-led campaign continues to work to halt ISIS' advance, Canon White urges Christians around the world to pray for the current situation in the Middle East, calling it "too terrible to even explain."
"Lord will you have mercy on your people?" he wrote in a recent Facebook update.
"I know you will Lord but it so hurts. Who was it who said they would like to go to Jordan at Christmas? We need you."
