Islamic State Group Smuggling Boys to Desert Training Camps 

WASHINGTON - More than two years after the collapse of its self-declared caliphate, the Islamic State terror group appears to be trying to rebuild its army in the eastern Syrian desert on the backs of boys and teenagers, many smuggled out of the displaced persons camps that dot Syria's northeast.

The revelation, based on U.S. military intelligence, is part of a report issued Tuesday by the U.S. Defense Department's inspector general on American and allied operations in Syria and Iraq. In particular, the report warned that despite a series of crackdowns by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, IS, also known as ISIS or Daesh, retains significant influence in many of the camps, as well as freedom of movement, allowing it to target "the most susceptible" for recruitment. "ISIS has given priority to smuggling boys out of these camps to training locations in the Syrian desert," the report said, citing assessments from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency.