IS militants 'indoctrinating kids' by reading bedtime stories of jihad to them

In a bid to radicalize children and "desensitize" them towards acts of violence, the Islamic State (IS) militants have been reading bedtime stories of jihad to their kids and showing them snaps of killings, a report said.

In a parenting guide, called the "Sister's Role in Jihad," the terror outfit urged mothers to show their children terror websites and read tales of jihad to them, reported The Daily Star.

The guide implores mothers to not wait "until they are seven to start for it may be too late by then" and warns them against underestimating "the lasting effect of what those little ears and eyes take in during the first few years of life."

It stressed that fun did not mean "music and dancing" as portrayed by Western children's TV.

Middle East Media Research Institute director Steven Stalinsky said that the year would see a substantial increase in attempts to "indoctrinate the next generation of fighters.