S.Lanka's Tigers say willing to die, ready for war

Reuters AlertNet - S.Lanka's Tigers say willing to die, ready for war: " 64,000 people have been killed in the fighting.

Late on Wednesday, the rebels provided three militants for Reuters to interview in the garden of their media centre: Malathy and 32-year-old Jyanthi -- both female combat veterans -- as well as 24-year-old Nesan, who said he had never fought before.

"Even my first battle was easy," said Jyanthi, who first saw action in a successful 1996 attack to capture an army camp by the northeast coast.

In the past, the rebels have used female soldiers as both conventional infantry and as suicide bombers, and have warned they will use all their available resources if the war resumes.

The two women said female Tigers -- who the rebels say make up 35 percent of an army analysts estimate at 18,000-20,000 strong -- fought in separate units to men and were capable of anything their male colleagues could do.

While assassinations, child recruitment and attacks on civilian targets have led to several countries to list the Tigers as a banned terrorist organisation, the skill and determination they have showed in battle won them grudging respect from their opponents.

Smoking and drinking are forbidden for the cadres.

The two women said they had lost count of the number of comrades they had lost in the decade since they joined."