“The following is the list of commanders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), also known as the Tamil Tigers, a separatist militant Tamil nationalist organisation, which operated in northern and eastern Sri Lanka till May, 2009; when the Sri Lankan Military defeated it in May 2009.' name="Reuters">"SCENARIOS-The end of Sri Lanka's quarter-century war". Reuters. 16 May 2009. http://www.reuters.com/article/featuredCrisis/idUSCOL391456.</ref>[1] The military designations in front of their names are part of their aliases, and are not recognised military ranks.
| Nom de Guerre | Real Name | Date & Place of Birth |
Date & Place of Death |
Position(s) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thambi (used only by closest associates)"" Annan [Elder Brother by Tamil Peoples] | Velupillai Prabhakaran † |
26 November 1954 Velvettithurai |
19 May 2009 (aged 54)[2][3][4]) Mullaitivu District |
Leader of the LTTE | Prabhakaran was the supreme leader of LTTE, which waged a 25-year violent secessionist campaign in Sri Lanka. His death in Nanthikadal lagoon, Mullaitivu, brought an immediate end to the Sri Lankan Civil War. | |
| Pottu Amman | Shanmugalingam Sivashankar † | 1962 | 18 May 2009 Vellamullivaikkal, Mullaitivu |
Leader of Tiger Organization Security Intelligence Service (TOSIS) and Black Tigers | Pottu Amman was the second-in-command of LTTE. His death was initially disputed because the dead body was not found. But in October 2010, TADA court judge K. Dakshinamurthy dropped charges against Amman, on the Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, accepting the CBI's report on his demise.[5] | |
| Selvarasa Pathmanathan (POW) alias Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP (23+ aliases) |
Shanmugam Kumaran Tharmalingam | 6 April 1955 Kankesanthurai |
Served as the leader of LTTE since the death of Prabhakaran. Prior to that, he was the chief procurer of arms and head of the "Department of International Relations" of LTTE | As the chief arms procurer since the origin of the organisation, Pathmanathan was involved in all the vital administrative issues of LTTE. He held 200+ passports with himself. On 21 July 2009, the Executive Committee of the LTTE, issued a statement announcing that Patmanathan had been appointed leader of the LTTE. But on 5 August 2009, Sri Lankan intelligence agents with the aid of the local authorities, captured Pathmanathan in Malaysia and deported him to Sri Lanka. | ||
| Karuna Amman | Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan | 1966 Kiran, Batticaloa |
LTTE leader of the Eastern Province | Karuna Amman was a major commander of the LTTE. He was involved in many successful LTTE attacks including the Second Battle of Elephant Pass. In March 2004, he broke away from the Tamil Tigers and claimed renounced violence. In 2007, he created the political party TMVP. But in 2008, he was appointed as a National List Member of Parliament. Later, he was sworn in as Minister of National Integration. | ||
| Lt. Colonel Seelan † | Charles Lucas Anthony | 15 July 1983 Meesalai |
Second-in-command of LTTE as of 1983 | Seelan was Prabhakaran's right hand man in the early stages of LTTE. He was instrumental in the rising of LTTE from an armed criminal gang to a deadly military force. Seelan's death on 15 July 1983 prompted Prabhakaran to ambush the Sri Lanka Army patrol Four Four Bravo to avenge his death. The killing of 13 soldiers on 23 July 1983, resulted in the Black July ethnic riots, which marked the beginning of 26 year civil war.[6] LTTE supermo Prabhakaran paid tribute to Seelan aka Charles Anthony by naming his elder son and the premiere fighting brigade of LTTE after him. | ||
| Colonel Kittu † | Sathasivam Krishnakumar | 2 January 1960 Velvettithurai |
14 January 1993 | Second-in-Command of LTTE, Leader of shipping | Col. Kittu was the Second-in-Command of LTTE in the latter part of 1980s and early 1990s. He committed suicide when he was going to be caught by the Indian Navy. | |
| Mahattaya | Gopalaswamy Mahendraraja | 1956 Point Pedro |
28 December 1994 | Second-in-Command of LTTE, Leader of People's Front of Liberation Tigers, Political wing of LTTE | LTTE intelligence wing found Mahattaya was leaking information to India's Research and Analysis Wing. He was executed under the orders of Prabhakaran for high treason. | |
| Thamilchelvan | Suppiah Paramu Thamilselvan | 29 August 1967 Chavakacheri |
2 November 2007 (aged 40) Kilinochchi |
Political leader of LTTE | One of the prominent negotiators of LTTE. Killed by a precise Sri Lanka Air Force bombing targeting him. | |
| Colonel Shankar | Vaithilingam Sornalingam † | September 1949 | 26 September 2001 | Founder and leader of the air wing and marine division of LTTE | Shankar was a relative and one of the closest lieutenants of LTTE leader Prabhakaran. He is killed by a claymore attack of the deep penetration unit of Sri Lankan army in 2001. | |
| Colonel Soosai † | Thillaiyampalam Sivanesan | 16 October 1963 | 18 May 2009 (aged 45) | Head of the Sea Tigers, naval wing of the LTTE | He is responsible for many successful attacks against Sri Lanka Navy. He was narrowly ezcaped during the Vadamarachchi Operation, but was killed during the Sri Lanka Army's final onslaught towards LTTE held area in 2009. | |
| Brigadier Balraj | Balasegaram Kandiah | 27 November 1965 Kokkuththoduvai |
18 May 2008 (aged 42) Mullaitivu |
Commander of the Charles Antony Brigade | Balraj died due to a sudden heart attack. He is responsible for many successful attacks of LTTE including Second Battle of Elephant Pass. | |
| Colonel Theepan † alias Tango Papa |
Velayuthapillai Baheerathakumar | 1965 Vavuniya |
5 April 2009 Puthukkudiyiruppu |
Overall military commander of LTTE in the final phase of Sri Lankan Civil War | He was promoted posthumously to Brigadier.[7] He was a native of Thenmarachi division of Jaffna District. He joined LTTE in 1984 and eventually became a senior commander. He has participated and lead number of battles[8] against Sri Lankan Army. He was killed along with 615 others in early April 2009 in Puthukkudiyiruppu (Mullaitivu). Before his death he was the unofficial military commander[9] of the Tamil Tigers. He was killed by 2nd special forces LRRP unit. | |
| Balasingham Nadesan | 18 May 2009 Mullaitivu |
Political leader of LTTE (Since November 2007), Chief of LTTE Police | Nadesan was the Police Chief of LTTE. He also held the position of Political leader since the death of S. P. Thamilselvan in 2007. Nadesan was killed on 18 May 2009 in Vellamullivaikkal, Mullaitivu. | |||
| Colonel Bhanu (Banu) † |
18 May 2009 Vellamullivaikkal, Mullaitivu |
He lead the LTTE artillery unit in the Second Battle of Elephant Pass and hoisted the LTTE flag at the Elephant Pass base in 2000.[10] He was killed during the final battle of the war, on 18 May 2009.[11] | ||||
| Colonel Charles † | Shanmuganathan Ravishankar | 1965 | 6 January 2008 Mannar District |
Head of LTTE Military Intelligence wing | Charles was killed by a Sri Lankan Army LRRP unit in 2008. He was involved in the planning of Central Bank bombing and many other successful Black Tiger attacks.[12] | |
| Colonel Ramesh † alias Romeo Siera |
T. Thurairajasingham | 18 May 2009 Vellamullivaikkal, Mullaitivu |
Batticaloa District & Ampara District commander | He was the LTTE commander for Batticaloa and Ampara districts during the 2002 ceasefire era.[13] It is believed he was killed on 18 May 2009. | ||
| Colonel Sornam (Swarnam) † |
18 May 2009 | LTTE leader of Trincomalee | He used to be a personal body guard of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and a senior commander of the LTTE.[14][15] It is believed that he was killed in May 2009.[14][15] | |||
| Colonel Gadaffi † | 1961 | April 2009 Puthukkudiyiruppu |
Head of LTTE military school | He was a senior commander of the LTTE. He was from Nelliyady. He was killed in early April 2009 in Puthukkudiyiruppu (Mullaitivu). At the time of his death, he was the head of Tamil Tiger military school.[8] He also functioned as either deputy or leader of some of the Tamil Tiger military divisions. It is claimed[7] that Gadaffi brought down several Sri Lankan Air Force aircraft through his shoulder fired SAM-7 missiles. | ||
| Colonel Jeyam[16] (Jayam) † |
May 2009 | A senior LTTE commander, originally from the east of Sri Lanka. He was a member of the LTTE delegation that attended the Geneva peace talks between the LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka.[17] It is believed that he was killed in May 2009. He is not to be confused with a TMVP commander by the same name, who is also from the east of Sri Lanka. | ||||
| Colonel Raju | Ambalavanar Neminathan | 25 August 2002 | ||||
| Colonel Pathuman † | Trincomalee District commander | The former LTTE commander for the Trincomalee District during the 2002 ceasefire period.[18] | ||||
| Colonel Ramanan † | Kandiah Ulaganathan | 1966 | 21 May 2006 Vavunathivu |
|||
| Nediyavan | Perinpanayagam Sivaparan | LTTE leader of Norway | With the demise of LTTE in May 2009, Nediyavan appeared as the military leader of LTTE. He was apprehended by Norwegian authorities in May 2011.[19] | |||
| Colonel Thurka † | 5 April 2009 | Sothiya Regiment commander | A female commander of the LTTE, she is the leader of the all female Sothiya Regiment. Reported to have been killed during Sri Lanka Army attacks on 5 April 2009. | |||
| Colonel Vithusha † | 5 April 2009 | Maalathi Regiment commander | A female commander of the LTTE, and the leader of the all female Maalathi Regiment.[20] Reported to have been killed during Sri Lanka Army attacks on 5 April 2009. | |||
| Lt. Colonel Akbar † | Veerapathirar Pernibarasa | 7 October 2006 | ||||
| Lt. Colonel Amuthab † | March 2009? April 2009? Puthukkudiyiruppu |
Charles Anthony Brigade commander | He was a senior LTTE commander,[21] was also the head[22] of Charles Anthony Brigade. He was a battle hardened commander & was killed either in late March 2009 or early April 2009 in Puthukkudiyiruppu (Mullaitivu). | |||
| Lt. Colonel Appaiah[23] | I. Rasiah | 24 December 1997 | He was known as 'Scientist of LTTE'. | |||
| Lt. Colonel Arivu † | Trincomalee District | He was a senior commander[21] of the LTTE, he served in Charles Anthony Brigade as a senior commander. Believed to have been in killed[24] in Trincomalee District in the mid 2000s. | ||||
| Lt. Colonel Gobith † | March 2009?<br<April 2009? Puthukkudiyiruppu |
Charles Anthony Brigade commander | He was a senior LTTE commander, was also the head[22] of Charles Anthony Brigade. He was a battle hardened commander & was killed either in late March 2009 or early April 2009 in Puthukkudiyiruppu (Mullaitivu). | |||
| Lt. Colonel Kumarappa † | B. Ratnapalan | 5 October 1987 | He was taken into custody by Sri Lanka Navy along with 16 others in the mid sea, and brought to Sri Lanka Army base in Palali. When the Sri Lanka Army attempted to take them to Colombo for interrogation, he committed suicide on 5 October 1987 along with Colonel Pulendran and 10 others.[25] This incident happened two months after the Indian Peace Keeping Force arrived in the northeast of Sri Lanka under the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord. | |||
| Lt. Colonel Lawrence † | May 2009 | He was a senior commander of the LTTE, he served in the northern front.[26][27] It is believed that he was killed in May 2009. | ||||
| Lt. Colonel Nakulan † (Nagulan) |
May 2007 | He was a senior commander[21] of the Tamil Tigers, he served in Charles Anthony Brigade as a senior commander. Believed to have been killed[28] in eastern Sri Lanka in May 2007. | ||||
| Lt. Colonel Nizam † | Thambirasa Kuhasanthan | 2001 | Head of Military Intelligence (East) | He was the LTTE military intelligence wing leader for the east of Sri Lanka. He was killed by a Sri Lanka Army LRRP unit in year 2001.[29] | ||
| Lt. Colonel Ponnamman †[30] | Yogaratnam Kugan | 1987 Navatkuly |
He is an old boy of Jaffna Hindu College and a college all rounder. He was killed in 1987 in an explosion during an attempt to attack the Sri Lanka Army camp in Navatkuly, Jaffna. | |||
| Lt. Colonel Pulendran † | K. Dharmarajah | 10 October 1987 | Trincomalee District commander | He was one of the early members of the LTTE. At the time of his death by suicide, he was the military commander for the rebels in the Trincomalee district in the east of the island. He was apprehended while leading a group of 17 rebel members, refugees and exiled Tamil political leaders from India to Sri Lanka in mid-sea by the Sri Lankan Navy. The Sri Lankan Navy claimed that the tip-off came from the Indians. They were brought to Sri Lankan Army base in Palali. When the Army attempted to take them to Colombo for interrogation, Pulendran and 10 others committed suicide by swallowing cyanide. This incident happened two months after the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) arrived in the northeast of Sri Lanka under the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord. The Indians had attempted to prevent the airlift of rebels from the Jaffna peninsula to Colombo under pressure from the LTTE, but failed. Mass suicide of the rebels was considered to be turning point in relationship between the Indian force and the rebels and it led to full scale hostilities to breakout between the IPKF and the LTTE.[25][31] | ||
| Lt Colonel Ratha † | He was a senior commander of the LTTE, he has been credited[32][33] with many attack against Sri Lankan forces. He was killed in the late 1980s. The name 'Ratha' can refer a male or female. The Ratha Regiment[34] is named in honour of him. | |||||
| Lt. Colonel Santhosham †[35] | K. Umainesan | 21 October 1987 Kondavil |
He was killed on 21 October 1987 at Kondavil in Jaffna in a battle with the IPKF. He was active in the Trincomalee District of Sri Lanka. He was from Ariyalai, Jaffna District, Sri Lanka. | |||
| Lt. Colonel Thileepan | Rasaiah Parthipan | 1962 | 26 September 1987 | |||
| Lt. Colonel Veeramani † | Subramaniam Vadivel | 24 May 2006 | He was a senior commander[21] of the LTTE, he was killed in an accidentail explosion[27] on 24 May 2006. He served as a senior commander in the Charles Anthony Brigade and Tamil Tiger northern forces. He was from Vavuniya District | |||
| Lt. Colonel Victor †[36] | Marcelin Fuselus | 1984 | Mannar District commander | He was a Mannar District commander of the Tamil Tigers, until he was killed in 1984 by the Sri Lanka Army. The Victor Anti Tank and Armoured Unit of the LTTE was named after him. | ||
| - | Major Mano † | 2001 | Head of Communications (East) | The LTTE's head of eastern communications, he was killed by a Sri Lanka Army LRRP unit in 2001.[29] | ||
| Captain Miller † | Vallipuram Vasanthan | 1 January 1966 | 5 July 1987 (aged 21) | |||
| Captain Pandithar †[37] | S. Ravindran | 9 January 1985 | He was a childhood friend of Velupillai Prabhakaran and was the LTTE's accredited vice captain.[38] He was killed by the Sri Lanka Army on 9 January 1985. | |||
| Lieutenant Sellakili †[39] | Sathasivam Selvanayakam | 23 July 1983 Thirunelveli |
He was the only LTTE cadre to be killed in an ambush in Thirunelveli in Jaffna that killed 13 Sri Lanka Army soldiers on 23 July 1983, the incident that sparked the Black July riots across the country. He was the leader of the group that carried out the attack.[39] | |||
| Cheliyan † | October 2008? May 2009? |
Deputy Leader, Sea Tigers | He was a Sea Tiger deputy leader. It is claimed that a Sri Lankan Army LRRP killed him in October, 2008.[40] However there were reports that he was killed in May 2009.[41] | |||
| Gangai Amaran † | 2001 | Deputy Leader, Sea Tigers | He was a deputy Sea Tiger commander.[29] He was killed along with his family by a Sri Lanka Army LRRP unit in 2001.[42] | |||
| Gopal † | Nadarasa Dushiyanthan | April 2009 Puthukkudiyiruppu |
Kutti Sri Mortar Unit commander | Hw was a senior commander of the LTTE and was also the leader of Kutti Sri Mortar Unit.[8] He participated in many battles against the Sri Lankan Army, was killed in early April 2009 in Puthukkudiyiruppu (Mullaitivu). | ||
| Keerthi † | Manickapodi Maheswaran | April 2009 Puthukkudiyiruppu |
Head of Intelligence, Batticaloa District | He was a senior commander of the Tamil Tigers, he was killed in early April 2009 in Puthukkudiyiruppu (Mullaitivu). He was from Batticaloa District and served as the Tamil Tiger intelligence chief there.[7] He also served in the Jeyanthan Brigade as a senior commander. | ||
| Marshall †[43] | Irasaiah Ilanthirayan | Military spokesperson | He was the LTTE's military spokesperson and was often in contact with international media during the immediate post-ceasefire era.[44] | |||
| Nagesh † | Selvarathnam Sundaram | 15 January 1970 Batticaloa District |
April 2009 Puthukkudiyiruppu |
He was a senior commander of the LTTE, participated in may battles[8] against the Sri Lankan Army in the east and north of Sri Lanka. He was killed in early April 2009 in Puthukkudiyiruppu (Mullaitivu). He was a senior commander of the Jeyanthan Brigade. | ||
| Ramalingam Paramadeva † | 1984 | |||||
| Sothiya (Sothia) † |
Maria Vasanthi Michael | 20 September 1963 | 11 January 1990 (aged 26) | She died of illness in 1990 and had one of the female fighting formations of the LTTE, the Sothiya Regiment, named after her.[45] |
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