Nearly 300 Islamic State child soldiers have died so far in the battle for Mosul, the terrorist group's last major stronghold in Iraq, the Daily Caller News Foundation reports.
As U.S.-led coalition forces move closer to Mosul, an effort spearheaded by the Iraqi army, fighting has ramped up in and around the ISIS-held city.
The Syria Observatory for Human Rights believes that the 300 "lion cubs of the caliphate," the name ISIS child soldiers are known by, make up a third of the 900 ISIS fighters who have been killed since the Mosul operation began. U.S. officials estimate that 3,000 to 5,000 ISIS fighters remain in the city.
ISIS has been using child soldiers for some time now, calling them "lion cubs of the caliphate" and "caliphate cubs." They have appeared in numerous propaganda videos and have been filmed executing prisoners.
Shia militia groups, many of which are backed by Iran, have also used child soldiers in the fight against ISIS, according to human Rights Watch.
Iraqi and Kurdish forces have retaken towns near Mosul and are preparing for the assault on the main city itself, the country's second largest. Media reports indicate that Iraqi troops are already inside Mosul. ISIS has been taking civilians to use as human shields against coalition forces. ISIS has reportedly taken 25,000 civilians from one town alone.