During the Sri Lankan Civil War(1983–2009) female rebel soldiers of LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) played a vital role in numerous battle victories.
Women rebel soldiers performed equally well in all combat roles on par with their male colleagues.
Some notable battles in which women soldiers’ performance extremely well
- Counter operations against IPKF-Indian Peace Keeping Forces(1987–1989).
- Battle of Kilinochchi (1998)
- The counter operation against Army’s Operation Jaysikurui(1997–1999)
- Second Battle of Elephant Pass (2000)
- Counter Operation against Army’s Operation Agnikeela(2001)
LTTE or Tamil Tigers used to have two exclusively women brigades :
- Sothiya Brigade (named after LTTE’s first female military commander)
- Malathi Brigade (named after LTTE’s first female martyr)
From recruitment to training everything was exclusively done by only female members.
Training
COMBAT ROLES
1)Women in frontline(land)
Women soldiers pose in front of a destroyed Indian Tank
Battle of Kilinochchi 1998: Senior Commander Balraj explains their attack operation to female teams.
Female soldiers in action in Wanni.
Women Soldiers checks captured Army APCs(Armored Personnel Carrier)
Women soldiers cautiously chasing a retreating enemy in Wanni 1999
Women soldiers inside captured Army’s 55 Division Main command centre in 1999
On a destroyed tank at Muhamalai FDL 2000
Women soldiers on Bund final Eelam War (2006–2009)
2)Women as “Sea Tigers”(naval wing)
LTTE had World’s most sophisticated “non-state” Naval Force which sunk more than 50 enemy crafts including gunboats, Attack crafts, inshore patrol crafts, Large command ships, etc.
Sea Tigers have sunken more than 20 Dvora Attack Crafts which were supplied by Israel.
Sea Tigers patrolling.
Suicide Boats
Female sea tigers onboard an attack craft.
Female Sea Tigers during a parade
Mangai and Nalayini were part of 4 member black tiger team which sunked the Sagarawardene Navy Command Ship.
Combat Divers(including suicide)
Santha was part of 4 member combat divers (suicide ) team that penetrated the Trincomalee Harbour and sunken two gunboats; Soorya and Ranasuru in 1995.
In 1995 at Kanagesathurai Harbour LTTE sunk a large Navy Command ship named Edithara. Tamilini was part of the suicide team which penetrated the harbour.
3) Women in Radha “Anti-Aircraft Brigade”
Image: A female Sea Tiger soldier behind an anti-aircraft gun
4) Women in Kuttisri “Mortar Brigade”
Image: Female Cadres pulling a 120mm mortar gun through a lagoon.
Image: LTTE female soldiers fixing a mortar gun.
5) Women in Victor Anti-Tank (RPG) unit:
6)Women in Ponnamman “mining unit”
Image: Female members of Ponnamman Mining Unit clearing mines along the A9 Highway.
7) Women in “Motorcycle Brigade”
8)Women in Kittu “Artillery” Brigade
For obvious reasons women were never seen handling LTTE’s artillery guns but were sometimes part of the maintenance teams:
Women soldiers with a 152mm Artillery Gun
Moving and operation of heavy artillery guns require lots of upper body power so mostly male soldiers were deployed for these works.
Male Soldiers of Kittu Artillery Brigade.
9)Air Tigers( Air wing)
Tamil Tigers were the first and only militant group that fielded a low profile Air-Force. Probably Air Tigers was the only wing where LTTE didn’t deploy women. But it was only in 2007 when LTTE first time used planes for combat operations and they were defeated in 2009.
Had they were active for a few more years they would have given the World it’s first women, non-state combat pilots.
Looking at the whole Sri Lanka Civil War( 1983–2009) we can say that women soldiers played decisive roles in many battles for the Tamil Tigers in almost all combat roles.
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