Children have been beheaded in the Central African Republic as the violence rages on, the United Nations said Friday.
According to CNN, at least two children were beheaded and thousands more were recruited as soldiers.
In a report released by UNICEF, the deaths of 16 children were verified and 60 others had been injured since the violence in Bangui started last month.
One child was mutilated before his death, the report noted.
"We are witnessing unprecedented levels of violence against children. More and more children are being recruited into armed groups, and they are also being directly targeted in atrocious revenge attacks," said Souleymane Diabate, UNICEF representative in the nation.
The fighting in the nation escalated when the rebel coalition, Seleka, ousted President Francois Bozize from office. Bozize fled to Cameroon, but the war between the Muslim coalition and the vigilante Christian groups that fought back, has not let up.
The United Nations has warned that a genocide may be imminent.