Damascus, Sep 08: At a time when Islamic State group is struggling to maintain its stronghold in Syria, it has emerged that the terror group’s militants are threatening children to join their ranks and fight for them or — get raped as punishment.

According to a report in the Daily Mail, children are being threatened with sexual assault and are then persuaded to join the front line during war to escape torment.

The incidents of rape and blackmailing were reported from the Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor.

However, when these children join the war front, they are brutally raped and are even filmed. And, if they back out or try to flee, they are threatened with the sex tapes stating that they would be released all over.

In their report pulled out in 2014, United Nations had claimed that more than 25,000 children and women have been held captive by ISIS. These women and children are then sexually exploited and sold into sex slavery. A Tunisian newspaper had revealed that each child was sold by ISIS for $10,000.