An 11-year-old, AK-47-toting Aleppo boy said his grown-up wish is to kill Syrian President Bashar Assad.
The boy, Mohammed Afar, is not much taller than his rifle, but his father says he’s a great shot and could actually pull off the deed. Sporting a jacket with the rebel Free Syrian Army badge, Mohammed said to the Voice.com: “I want to stay as a fighter until Bashar is killed.”
Dad Mohammed Saleh Afar couldn’t be prouder.
“He is a great shot,” he said, The New York Post reported. “He is my little lion.”
Human Rights Watch said that the boy’s dream may actually be pretty common in the war-torn nation. Syria’s government has a long history of “using children for combat and other military purposes,” the group said, in a recently released report. “Even when children volunteer to fight, commanders have a responsibility to protect them by turning them way.”
Fighters with more experience say Mohammed is a “good shot” and say he’s calm under pressure and can load his weapons with skill and speed, The Post reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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