LTTE- IN SRILANKA

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelamதமிழிழவிடுதலைப்புலிகள்‎
The official emblem of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
Dates of operation
1976 – present
Leader
Velupillai Prabhakaran
Motives
The creation of a separate Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka
Active region(s)
Sri Lanka
Ideology
Tamil nationalism
Status
As of April 22, 2009 the LTTE occupies an area of around 18.2 km² in the Mullaitivu District,

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Tamil: தமிழீழவிடுதலைப்புலிகள், ISO 15919: tamiḻ iiḻa viṭutalaip pulikaḷ; commonly known as the LTTE or the Tamil Tigers) is a militant organization based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in 1976, it has since actively waged a violent secessionist campaign that seeks to create an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka. This campaign has evolved into the Sri Lankan Civil War, one of longest running armed conflicts in Asia. Since its formation, the LTTE has been headed by its founder, Velupillai Prabhakaran.
The Tamil Tigers are currently proscribed as a terrorist organization by 32 countries (see list of countries). They have a well-developed militia cadre, and are notorious for committing atrocities against civilians, for carrying out high profile attacks, including the assassinations of several high-ranking Sri Lankan and Indian politicians, and for recruiting child soldiers. The LTTE invented the suicide belt and is widely known for suicide bombing as a tactic. They also pioneered the use of women in suicide attacks. The LTTE has carried out more suicide bombings than Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and al-Qaeda combined. The LTTE has used aircraft in some attacks.
Over the course of the conflict, the Tamil Tigers have frequently exchanged control of territory in north-east Sri Lanka with the Sri Lankan military, engaging in fierce confrontations in the process. They have also been involved in peace talks to end the conflict four times, each time unsuccessfully, and at the start of the latest round of peace talks in 2002, they ran a virtual mini-state in area under their control. However, after the breakdown of the peace process in 2006, the Sri Lankan military launched a major offensive against the Tamil Tigers, bringing a vast area under their control and limiting the Tigers to a 21.5 km2 area in the Mullaithivu District.
As a result of this offensive, there is increasing belief that the final military defeat of the LTTE is near, although they may launch an underground guerrilla campaign if defeated as a conventional force. There have also been growing calls for the LTTE to surrender, including a joint statement issued in February 2009 by the United States, the European Union, Japan and Norway, which said there was "just a short time before the Tigers lost all the territory still under their control".