Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam facts for kids

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, often called the Tamil Tigers or LTTE, was a group that used military methods. It was based in the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka. The LTTE fought to create its own independent state, a country called Tamil Eelam. This proposed state would have been in the northeast of the island.

The group said they were fighting because Sri Lankan Tamils faced unfair treatment and policies from the Sri Lankan Government. This government was mostly made up of Sinhalese people.

The LTTE started as a small guerrilla group. This means they used surprise attacks and didn't fight like a regular army. Over time, they grew much larger. They began to look more like a traditional army. They had their own navy, an air unit called the Air Tigers, and a group that gathered secret information. They also had a special unit known for carrying out very risky attacks.

The LTTE became known for using women and children in their fighting. They also carried out several high-profile killings of important leaders. These included the former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi, in 1991. They also killed Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa in 1993. Because of these actions, many countries, including the European Union, Canada, the United States, and India, officially called the LTTE a terrorist organization.

The Conflict and Its End

During the Sri Lankan Civil War, the LTTE and the Sri Lankan military often fought for control of land. This was mostly in the northern and eastern areas of Sri Lanka. Both sides had many intense battles.

The LTTE tried to make peace with the Sri Lankan government four times, but these talks did not work. At its strongest point around the year 2000, the LTTE controlled a large part of the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. They controlled about 76% of the land in those areas.

Velupillai Prabhakaran led the LTTE from when it started until he died in 2009. The civil war lasted from 1983 to 2009. During this time, at least 100,000 people were killed. Many of these were Sri Lankan Tamils. Also, about 800,000 Sri Lankan Tamils left Sri Lanka. They moved to other places around the world, like Europe, North America, and Asia. This movement of people is called a diaspora. The LTTE was militarily defeated in May 2009.

Images for kids

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  An LTTE bicycle infantry platoon north of Kilinochchi in 2004

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  A mother of a dead LTTE cadre raises the Tamil Eelam flag on Maaveerar Naal 2002 in Germany

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  LTTE women's wing marching in a parade.

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  Kilinochchi District court ín LTTE-administered Tamil Eelam

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  A LTTE Sea Tiger fast attack fiberglass boat passing a Sri Lankan freighter sunk by the Sea Tigers just north of the village of Mullaitivu, North-eastern Sri Lanka

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  Kopay memorial for fallen Tamil combatants

See also

In Spanish: Tigres de Liberación del Eelam Tamil para niños