Rifles, rockets - SL rebels train for the kill

Deep inside rebel territory (Sri Lanka), July 14: First there is a blazing back-flash, then a thunderous explosion, squeezing the trigger of his rocket-propelled grenade launcher, Tamil Tiger fighter S Kadalarasan imagines future kills.

Lying in a 'foxhole' during a practice assault where Tiger fighters learn jungle warfare, he thinks of a Tamil homeland the rebels have fought for two decades to carve out in the north and east.

''The main objective on the battle front is how to destroy the enemy's battle tanks and armoured vehicles,'' he says, as fellow fighters fire .50 calibre heavy machine guns from the other side of the sandy plain at a line of bunkers, razor wire and targets to pave the way for fighters to advance and capture a mock fortification.

''If I blow up their vehicles, I will be happy because the enemy is coming to suppress and oppress and kill our innocent civilians, so I will be happy to attack the enemy and kill them.'' Kadalarasan, 22, joined the Tigers three years ago, and says he has killed at least 15 soldiers amid a new chapter in a civil war that has claimed nearly 70,000 lives since 1983.

The secret training ground is deep inside the Tigers' stronghold in northern Sri Lanka, but reporters are not given precise details on the location for security reasons.

The distant sound of artillery shells falling near the front line a few miles (kilometres) away serves as a reminder of the reality that lies in store.

Dozens of other fighters in Tiger stripe fatigues or dark green uniforms, some wearing boots, others flip flops or barefoot, stage a mock advance firing live ammunition to capture their objective.

One wing of the assault is made up of female fighters, rushing forward with Chinese-made T-56 assault rifles, and firing into shallow bunkers to kill imaginary enemies, advancing in threes with mutual cover fire.

On closer inspection, faces of soldiers painted on metal sheets fired at from a distance of several hundred metres are riddled with holes.

Their trainer says the assault strategy will soon be used in a real operation against Sri Lankan troops.

Fresh from a drubbing by the military in the east, in which they lost vast swathes of territory to advancing troops, the Tigers have vowed to change their tactics and aim for major military and economic targets in a bid to cripple the 23 billion dollars economy.

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Some of their tactics come from unconventional sources.

''We have gained experience through battles and of course we have read books about strategies and tactics,'' says Lieutenant-Colonel V Nishanthan Master, specialist trainer in offensive and defensive tactics, as he marshals fighters through the exercise.

Shadowy rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, who has spent much of the past 20 years in hiding and is revered as the insurgents' 'national leader', gave him works by the likes of ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu to read, as well as books on the Napoleonic wars.

''There are a lot of movies that have been translated into Tamil, and we have also taken a lot of strategies from those,'' he adds, listing the likes of war movies such as Hollywood blockbusters ''Saving Private Ryan'' and ''Black Hawk Down''.

Fighters are also shown Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee movies to learn kung fu moves, as well as some lighter relief like cartoons and children's films such as ''Finding Nemo''.

''I also yearn for a normal life. But I am here and giving training because we need to expel the oppressors,'' Nishanthan Master says. ''Definitely we will drive the Sri Lankan armed forces from our homeland and we will create a Tamil Eelam. I have not an iota of doubt.'' The 36-year-old has been in most of the major battles the Tigers have fought with the military since he joined the movement 19 years ago, which means he started out as a child soldier like those UNICEF says the rebels are still recruiting.

He says Prabhakaran has given him books, certificates and even presents such as a torch light for his performance in battles past for the Tigers, who are widely outlawed as a terrorist group by a host of nations including the United States and Britain, as well as the European Union.

The Tigers this week vowed to adopt guerrilla tactics after losing territory in the east. And rebel fighters are prepared for death in more ways than one.

''Once I have fallen, another hand will come and take this RPG,'' Kadalarasan said after saying a Tiger oath following the training session, showing the glass vials containing white cyanide he wears around his neck like all fellow fighters.

''If we are badly wounded and the enemy is going to capture us or we are about to pass out, then only we bite as a last resort,'' he said smiling. ''In order to keep our secrets and not be tortured by the enemy, the cyanide capsule is the solution.''

REUTERS

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