Sri Lankan Tamil rebels set up auxiliary force: report

Sri Lankan Tamil Tiger rebels are currently recruiting soldiers to establish a 1,500-strong auxiliary force that will form part of an armed militia of the organization, The Sunday Times reported.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels have for the first time placed a formal advertisement in newspapers to invite applicants to join the auxiliary force and give the new recruits a six month training.

More than 300 applicants have turned up for interviews which were open only for "citizens of Thamil Eelam" to prevent the infiltration of rival groups including loyalists of rebel renegade eastern commander known as Karuna.

The rebel recruitment drive was aimed at strengthening their depleted forces after large numbers of desertions from the group following the breakaway of Karuna in March.

The LTTE move came as the UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) on Saturday accused them of continuing to conscript child soldiers in violation of an agreement they reached with the government in June last year.

The rebels and the government entered into a Norwegian-brokered ceasefire in February 2002 and both sides commenced direct peace talks seven months later until the rebels pulled out of the talks in April last year after six rounds of talks.

The resumption of the stalled peace talks was further delayed due to rebel insistence on their self-rule demand after the United People's Freedom Alliance led by President Chandrika Kumaratunga came to power following their victory in April 2 parliamentary elections.