Sahayaseeli Pedhuruppillai, alias Malathi (or Malathy), is the first female fighter of the Tamil Tigers to die in combat, hence revered as the first female martyr. Her death anniversary is commemorated as ''Women's Awakening day''. Her death is significant as later females joined the Tamil Tigers at all levels and played significant roles (including the

Black Tigers The Black Tigers () was an elite suicide commando unit of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a militant Tamil separatist organization. They were specially selected and trained LTTE cadres whose missions included mounting suicide at ...

). On 10 October 1987, Malathi was injured in combat when an LTTE women unit, which she was leading, was confronted by the

IPKF Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was the Indian military contingent performing a peacekeeping operation in Sri Lanka between 1987 and 1990. It was formed under the mandate of the 1987 Indo-Sri Lankan Accord that aimed to end the Sri Lankan ...

near Navatkuli-Kopay Road in

Kopay Kopay ( ta, கோப்பாய், translit=Kōppāy) is a town about 4 km from the city of Jaffna along Point Pedro road. An agricultural town consisting mainly of vegetable farms, paddy fields and coconut gardens. The suburb Kopay is ble ...

near

Jaffna Jaffna (, ) is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna District located on a peninsula of the same name. With a population of 88,138 in 2012, Jaffna is Sri Lanka's 12th most ...

. Although clearly overwhelmingly outnumbered by the IPKF soldiers with far superior firepower, her team still successfully blocked and retaliated the IPKF and forced the IPKF to withdraw. In the battle, she was bleeding profusely and rendered immobile when her fellow fighter soldier girls rescued her. Malathi, realizing the grave situation, wanted the girls to leave her and go on with the fight, and then took her cyanide capsule to avoid being captured. Tamil Tigers called one of their brigades the Malathi Brigade in honour of her and built a memorial for her in

Kilinochchi Kilinochchi ( ta, கிளிநொச்சி, translit=Kiḷinocci; si, කිලිනොච්චි, translit=Girānika) is the main town of Kilinochchi District, Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Kilinochchi is situated at the A9 road so ...

which was opened on October 10, 2004.

References

{{Authority control Sri Lankan Tamil rebels Sri Lankan rebels Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam members 1987 deaths 1967 births