How many are there?

More than 5,600 underage fighters have been recruited or re-recruited since a 2002 ceasefire that broke down last year.

How old are they?

The average age of recent child recruits in 2007 is 16 years, though children much younger were recruited at earlier stages of the conflict. About 60 per cent are boys.

What's the legal age for fighters?

The UN's 2002 Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child raised the minimum age from 15 to 18 for recruitment into armed groups, compulsory government recruitment, or direct participation in hostilities.

Who are they fighting for?

• The Tamil Tigers have fought for an independent state for ethnic minority Tamils since 1983. They require each family to contribute at least one member to their forces, UNICEF says, but have pledged to weed child soldiers out of their ranks by the end of 2007.

• The renegade Karuna Faction split from the Tigers in 2004. It has been rebuked by the UN for actively recruiting child soldiers.

• UNICEF lists 1,591 outstanding cases of underage recruitment by the Tigers as of May-end, of whom 506 are currently under 18 years.

How are they recruited?

Some volunteer. But in many cases children are forcibly recruited and abducted, sometimes by armed rebels.

How does Sri Lanka compare globally?

• UN estimates more than 250,000 child soldiers are currently active in about 30 global conflicts.

• Sri Lanka was one of 19 situations of concern cited in a 2006 report by the UN Secretary General.