LTTE Black Tiger
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The Black Tigers are special operatives of the LTTE that commit suicide if needed to reach their objectives. They are considered to be one of the most elite and lethal suicide bombers in the world. More than 270 Black Tigers have died in various actions on land and sea, almost all in Sri Lanka. Their victims include Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa.
History
The first LTTE Black Tiger was "Captain Miller", who drove a small truck laden with explosives into a Sri Lanka Army camp in Nelliady, Jaffna peninsula, on 5 July 1987, killing himself and over 50 Sri Lankan soldiers. Notable Black Tiger operations are the suicide bombing of the late Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi by a female cadre, resulting in the deaths of herself, the PM and 16 bystanders. The late Sri Lankan PM Ranasinghe Premadasa was also assassinated by an LTTE operative, killing 23 others unfortunate enough to be nearby.In January 1996, the LTTE carried out their deadliest suicide bomb attack, at the Central bank, killing 90 and injuring 1400. In October 1997 they bombed the Sri Lankan World Trade Center, and, in January 1998, detonated a truck bomb in Kandy, damaging the Temple of the Tooth, one of the holiest Buddhist shrines in the World. They also attempted to assassinate Chandrika Kumaratunga in 1999 during election campaigning; she survived the suicide blast with the loss of her right eye.
Black Tigers today
The LTTE are keeping the Black Tiger unit active, as witnessed by their commemoration ceremonies of "Black Tigers Day" on 5 July. The LTTE cadres that volunteer for the Black Tiger unit get extensive training but are then believed to return to their previous unit, without revealing their new assignment. They will then be called up if needed, and if so will have a last meal with the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.The Black Tigers are believed to be the most effective unit of its kind in the world, as the rest of the LTTE it is also secular, not driven by religious fanaticism. The creation of the Black Tigers is based on the LTTE's studies of Asymmetric warfare; thus using suicide cadres balance the government's greater resources. There are also maritime Black Tigers, they use small glassfibre boats loaded with explosives that ram Sri Lanka Navy vessels. Suicide attacks have also been executed by divers, swimming into the Kankesanturai naval base in the Jaffna peninsula and blowing up a large merchant vessel.
The LTTE may also have airborn Black Tigers; it is believed that the five microplanes at Iranamadu may belong to such a force. No airborn Black Tiger attack has yet been attempted.
After their death the cadres families are cared for by the LTTE and the cadre's photo is listed in the "Black Tigers Day" commemoration. The extensive training of their suicide units separates the Black Tigers from other suicide bombers around the world.
The most recent Black Tiger operations were against the Sri Lanka army commander Lt Gen Sarath Fonseka in April 2006 and Maj Gen Parami Kulatunga in June 2006. Lt Gen Fonseka survived while Maj Gen Kulatunga perished.
The attack against Fonseka was typical for the Black Tigers detailed planning, employing a woman possibly pregnant, that penetrated the Army headquarter's security under cover of visiting the hospital on the compound. Manjula Devi, the female suicide bomber, lived with a sinhalese family and she were fluent in sinhalese.
References
- Balasingham, Anton. (2004) War and Peace - Armed Struggle and Peace Efforts of Liberation Tigers, Fairmax Publishing Ltd, ISBN 1-903679-05-2
- Narayan Swamy, M. R. (2002) Tigers of Lanka: from Boys to Guerrillas, Konark Publishers; 3rd ed. ISBN 8122006310
- Pratap, Anita. (2001) Island of Blood: Frontline Reports From Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Other South Asian Flashpoints. Penguin Books, ISBN 0142003662
- de Votta, Neil. (2004) Blowback: Linguistic Nationalism, Institutional Decay, and Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka. Stanford University Press, ISBN 0804749248
- Pape, Robert A. (2005) Dying to Win : The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism. Random House. ISBN 1400063175
External links
- [Photo Gallery of Black Tigers from tamiltigers.net]
- [Chronology of Suicide Bomb attacks by the LTTE in Sri Lanka]
- [How LTTE select and train its suicide bombers, from Time]
- [BBC online on LTTE Black Tigers]
- [IPCS on Black Tigers]
- [Asian Times on Black Tigers]
- [Hindustan Times correspondent PK Balachandran on LTTE Black Tigers]
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