Pokemon Go has caught the fancy of war-ravaged Syrian children, albeit in the most heart-wrenching of the ways. Images of Syrian children holding images of Pokemon have gone viral, with all images carrying one message - "I am here, save me".

Niantic's latest augmented reality game has fans hooked to it. An estimated 30 million players across the globe are scouring their environs to catch critters in the game which has allowed them to revel in fantasies of their childhood. The game has seen unprecedented indulgence, prompting ingenious ways of use for promotion. Syrian children caught in battles between Pro-Assad forces and his opposition hope the game can draw attention to their plight.

Messages accompanying Pokemon images include cry for help and the location of the child. The messages reveal children from across the country are traumatized by the civil war and have thus sought to reach out to the world.

Pokemon Go requires players to venture out of their homes and offices to catch imaginary creatures called Pokemon which debuted in the 1990s in Japan. Using their phones as navigation tools, players hunt for Pokemon, catch and train them to battle in gyms and climb levels. In-game purchases help players progress in the game. One of the major attractions of the game is creatures appearing on the device as though they are in the real world. This reality is captured by a phone's camera.

Use of the game to draw attention to Syrian conflict is an idea conjured by Revolutionary Forces of Syria, that is fighting the Assad regime. "With the media spread wide for Pokemon game we decided to publish these images to highlight the suffering of the Syrian people from the bombing of the forces of order and Air-Assad to the Syrian people and besiege them," a spokesperson for the organization reportedly said

The powerful images have received sympathy from viewers worldwide who have also expressed shock at the situation in Syria.