Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups rose to prominence in the 1970s to fight the state of
Sri Lanka in order to create an independent
Tamil Eelam in the north of Sri Lanka. They rose in response to the perception among minority
Sri Lankan Tamils that the state was preferring the majority
Sinhalese for educational opportunities and government jobs. By the end of 1987, the militants had fought not only the
Sri Lankan security forces but also the
Indian Peace Keeping Force. They also fought among each other briefly, with the main
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebel group dominating the others. The militants represented
inter-generational tensions, as well as the
caste and ideological differences. Except for the LTTE, many of the remaining organizations have morphed into minor political parties within the
Tamil National Alliance, or as standalone political parties. Some Tamil militant groups also functioned as paramilitaries within the Sri Lankan military against separatist militants .