Tigers training Nepal's Maoists: South Asia : Hindustan Times.com

Kathmandu, July 9, 2005|11:58 IST
Sudeshna Sarkar (IANS)

Sri Lanka's Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) guerrilla group is providing military training to Nepal's Maoist insurgents in Bihar near the Nepalese border, a media report has said.

In its Friday edition, the South Asia Tribune, an ezine - magazine published on the Internet - from Washington said the Lankan rebels were teaching Nepalese outlaws to form human bomb squads for suicidal missions.

The Tigers are said to be running a training camp in Narkatiaganj and Ghorasahan in Bihar near Nepal's border.

'Women and teenage boys and girls were being recruited for these squads. They also carry cyanide capsules with them,' the report said. The report is said to be based on an interview taken in New Delhi with a Maoist leader.

Though the report did not name the leader, who was described as having come to the Indian capital from Purnea in Bihar, other media reports speculated whether it was Baburam Bhattarai, once the second-in-command of the Maoists, who visited New Delhi in May and met Indian politicians as well as Nepalese political leaders.

The LTTE, also known as Tamil Tigers, and prominent Indian separatist group United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) were present as special invitees.

The secret meeting reportedly decided the Tigers would provide full support to the Indian and Nepalese Maoists and Indian Maoists would provide shelter and training camps to Nepal's Maoists.

'Tamil Tigers have formed four Human Bomb Dalams (squads) of women,' the report said.

'Each dalam has 20 women. Similarly, 12 dalams of the suicidal squads have been formed. Each dalam has 40 young boys and girls. Indian and Nepalese Maoists are being jointly trained in this camp.'

The report also says French trainers are providing training to Nepalese rebels in Uttaranchal, in districts like Tanakpur, Pithoragarh and Bageshwar.

The report also said the Maoist leader admitted that Nepal's rebels had joined hands with the Indian outlaws to attack a police station and two state-owned banks in Bihar last month, in which at least 21 people were killed.

However, the Maoists' top leadership had issued a statement soon after such reports, denying any involvement in the raid." Sphere: Related Content