In its latest report, the U.S. State Department stated that in 2023, the Taliban recruited 342 underage boys as soldiers.
According to the report, 150 of these boys were used in combat operations, while 192 others were assigned roles as support personnel.
The recruitment of child soldiers occurred despite a directive from the Taliban leadership prohibiting the enlistment of minors into their ranks.
The report also notes that approximately 30 children between the ages of 10 and 18 were enrolled in a Taliban military training center in Badakhshan Province during the same year.
U.S. State Department: Taliban Recruited 342 Children into Their Ranks in 2023
