Boys of 17 sent to war in Afghanistan and Iraq The under-age soldiers, who were all 17 when sent abroad, took part in operations in the two war zones between 2007 and 2010, government figures have disclosed. Four of the minors were sent to Iraq and three went to the war in Afghanistan. Under Ministry of Defence (MoD) rules, all combat troops must be aged 18 before serving on the front line. The UK is a signatory to a United Nations pledge not to send children on to battlefields. Andrew Robathan, an Armed Forces minister, said "immediate action" was taken to correct the errors. The figures were disclosed after a parliamentary question from Julian Huppert, the Liberal Democrat MP. An MoD spokesman said: "Procedures are in place to ensure that, where possible, no one under the age of 18 is deployed on operations."