A shocking photo of a small boy smoking a cigarette and clutching a high-powered rifle has emerged from the violence in war-torn Syria.

Ahmed, the 7 year old son of a FSA fighter, stands in front of a barricade, were he assits his FSA comrades in the neighborhood of Salahadeen, one of Aleppo's front lines. Aleppo, Syria, on March 27, 2013. [Photo: CFP]

In the captivating images taken on Wednesday, 7-year-old Ahmed - the son of a rebel fighter - takes a drag from the cigarette and exhales a cloud of smoke like he's been doing it for years.

With his right hand, he holds the back of his weapon.

The photo was taken in front of a barricade in the neighborhood of Salahadeen, Aleppo - the front lines of the bloody Syrian civil war.