Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam 泰米尔伊拉姆猛虎解放组织
![](/Images/godic/202501/24/Ltte_emblem1316.jpg")
![LTTE leaders at Sirumalai camp, Tamil Nadu, India in 1984 while they are being trained by RAW (from L to R, weapon carrying is included within brackets) – Lingam; Prabhakaran's bodyguard (Hungarian AK), Batticaloa commander Aruna (Beretta Model 38 SMG), LTTE founder-leader Prabhakaran (pistol), Trincomalee commander Pulendran (AK-47), Mannar commander Victor (M203) and Chief of Intelligence Pottu Amman (M 16).](/Images/godic/202501/24/LTTE_leaders_at_Sirumalai_camp1316.jpg")
![An LTTE bicycle infantry platoon north of Kilinochchi in 2004](/Images/godic/202501/24/LTTE_bike_platoon_north_of_Killinochini_may_20041317.jpg")
![A mother of a dead LTTE cadre raises the Tamil Eelam flag on Maaveerar Naal 2002 in Germany](/Images/godic/202501/24/Amma-4--maveerarnaal-20021317.jpg")
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Tamil:தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள் Tamiḻīḻa viṭutalaip pulikaḷ, Sinhalese:දෙමළ ඊළාම් විමුක්ති කොටි Dhemala īlām vimukthi koti, commonly known as the LTTE or the Tamil Tigers) was a militant organisation that was based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in May 1976 by Velupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a secessionist nationalist insurgency to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil people. This campaign led to the Sri Lankan Civil War, which ran from 1983 until 2009, when the LTTE was defeated by the Sri Lankan Military during the presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa.