| Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam | |
|---|---|
| தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள் | |
| Also known as | Tamil Tigers; LTTE |
| Leader | Velupillai Prabhakaran † |
| Foundation | 1976 |
| Dates of operation | 5 May 1976–18 May 2009 |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Motives | Creation of an independent state of Tamil Eelam in the Northern Province and the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka |
| Ideology | Tamil nationalism Left-wing nationalism Revolutionary socialism Egalitarianism Secularism Anti-imperialism Separatism |
| Political position | Left-wing |
| Status |
|
| Size | 18,000, as of 2004, excluding divisions. |
| Annual revenue | US$300+ million prior to the military defeat. |
| Means of revenue | Contributions from Tamil diaspora (mostly voluntary, sometimes coerced), overseas investments, smuggling and taxation under LTTE-controlled areas. |
| Battles and wars | Sri Lankan Civil War |
| Website | Official website (now defunct) |
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is an organization. They fought the Sri Lankan Civil War against the Government of Sri Lanka for an independent Tamil state in Sri Lanka called Tamil Eelam. LTTE are also known as the Tamil Tigers. The group was started in 1972 by Velupillai Prabhakaran who was killed in battle against Sri Lanka's forces on May 18, 2009. Prabhakaran's body was cremated because the government did not want people to gather around his grave. There is also the Tamil Nadu Liberation Army who is currently fighting the Indian Army in South India. This group killed the third president of Sri Lanka, Ranasinghe Premadasa.