The blonde-haired boy, believed to be aged around five, learns how to fire at the enemy in the latest disturbing footage to emerge from the war-torn region
Smiling gleefully as he sprints to hide behind a wall, this blonde-haired boy could be any other carefree youngster playing cops and robbers.
Holding a heavy-duty pellet gun, he expertly fires at an invisible enemy as he doges between rubble.
But far from an innocent children's game, this is yet more evidence of the shocking reality of life under the Islamic State in Syria.
It was shared online by Raqqa is Being Silently Slaughtered, a covert organisation of locals who are documenting the atrocities being committed around them in the terror group's unofficial capital.
The video, entitled 'ISIS training children to fight in Raqqa', opens with the line: "That which God wills, there is no power but with Allah."
It is understood the boy is being trained to fight alongside Islamic extremists.
A activist for Raqqa is Being Silently Slaughtered told VICE News: "We were activists against the Assad regime when we started, but after our city was freed, and ISIS took over our freedom, we just decided to launch this campaign to expose all the crimes that ISIS do."
Human rights groups have repeatedly condemned ISIS for their efforts to recruit youngster to become jihadis.
Meanwhile, the bloodbath in Syria and Iraq continues unabated.
Last month, a 17-year-old boy was crucified in the town's centre, alleged to have taken photographs of jihadis in action.
And yet more sickening footage emerged of residents walking past headless corpses in Islamic State-controlled territOry without barely raising an eyebrow.
Extremists are said to be living like royalty in the town while ordinary people have plunged further into poverty.
A source revealed how jihadis had taken control of the town's food supplies and marched through its mostly deserted streets waving the group's flag.
