Captain Miller

Vallipuram Vasanthan (January 01, 1966 - 5 July 1987) was better known by his nom de guerre Captain Miller was the first LTTE Black Tiger suicide bomber, driving a small truck laden with explosives into a Sri Lanka Army camp in Nelliady Madhya Maha Vidyalayam, Jaffna peninsula, on 5 July 1987, killing himself and 39 Sri Lankan soldiers. [ [http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-wosri0719,0,990180.story?page=2&coll=ny-top-headlines Secrets of their success ] ] [ [http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/EG17Df03.html Suicide bombers feared and revered ] ]

5 July is commemorated annually as "Black Tigers Day", as well as the 27th being commemerated as Martyrs Day or Heroes Day. The deadly effect of the attack encouraged more attacks of a similar nature. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/photo_gallery/3051624.stm BBC Black Tiger Day Anniversary Photos ] ] The attack allegedly temporarily set back a planned invasion of Jaffna town by government security forces. [ [http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/HG12Df01.html Asia Times Online :: South Asia news - Black Tigers bare their fangs ] ] .

Vasanthan achieved posthumous fame as the first Black Tiger of 240 and one of the first suicide bombers of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. A statue was erected in his honour, at the site of his attack in the Nelliyadi Central College, in 2002.Vasanthan was the second of three sons and his Father was a local bank manager. He was a student of Hartley College in Point Pedro. [ [http://www.hartleycollege.com/hweb/milestones/ Hartley College Vallipuram Vasanthan ] ]

See also

*Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
*Notable attacks attributed to the LTTE
*Sri Lankan Civil War
*Terrorist attacks attributed to the LTTE

References