Children used by Syrian military

A rights group has said that children as young as 14 have been used for "combat and other military purposes" by opposition forces in Syria.

In a statement released on Thursday, Human Rights Watch says at least three brigades fighting the forces of Bashar al-Assad, Syrian president, have employed children as young as 14 to transport weapons and supplies as well as to act as lookouts.

The New York-based group goes on to say children 16 and up have "carried arms and taken combat roles against government forces".

The rights group says their reports are based on interviews with five boys between the ages of 14 and 16. The boys told the group they had worked with the armed opposition in Homs, Daraa, and Khirbet al-Jawz, a small Idlib town near the Turkish border. ...Al Jazeera live-blog