- Navy:
- Sea Tigers of Tamil Eelam, 1990-2009
- Name:
- கடற்புலிகள்
- Career:
Tamil guerrillas began fighting against Sri Lanka in 1983. The core of their future naval force was made up of a number of fishing boats which made their way through the Palk Strait, transporting guerrillas, weapons, ammunition and other vital supplies from India. The Black Tigers, a suicide squad comprising highly motivated young men and women, which attacked sensitive targets on land and sea, was formed in 1987. The Sea Tigers were officially founded in July 1992 and started with a fleet of small lightly armed fibreglass boats, under Colonel Thillaiyampalam Sivanesan “Soosai”.
From the outset, the Sea Tigers conducted a very aggressive campaign against the Sri Lankan Navy attacking their warships and bases, as well as merchant vessels passing through Tamil waters. They also ferried troops, transported vital supplies and escorted their own convoys. By the time a ceasefire was signed with the Sri Lankan government in 2002, the Tamil Tigers had sunk 25 warships, including Sri Lanka’s flagship Jayesagara (19 September 1994), and captured ten more. The Sea Tigers deployed several large craft, from heavily armed gunboats to submersibles, supply boats and troop carriers. They also had a diving unit and their own marine forces. The Tamil guerrillas were finally defeated by Sri Lankan Armed Forces in May 2009.
