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PersonDeceased

Velupillai Prabhakaran

Listed from published reports. Appearing here is not a finding of wrongdoing.

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Details

Role

Founder-member and leader of the LTTE

Died

Reported by the military to have been killed in May 2009; his body was said to have been found on 19 May 2009

Appears on

The LTTE war, 1983 to 2009

Connections (4)

• Velupillai Prabhakaran / Military commander at its founding in 1976; called its leader by 2002 / Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
  • The Tamil New Tigers became the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on 5 May 1976. Uma Maheswaran was its leader and Prabhakaran its military commander; many members later left with Maheswaran, and only a few loyalists stayed with Prabhakaran.21 May 2025 · Daily FT · From Valvettithurai to Nandhikkadal: Rise and fall of LTTE
  • The report names Velupillai Prabhakaran as the LTTE leader who signed the 2002 ceasefire.23 Feb 2002 · Dawn · Sri Lankan govt, Tamil Tigers sign ceasefire accord
• Velupillai Prabhakaran / Found guilty in absentia of masterminding, October 2002 / Central Bank bombing, Colombo, 1996
  • The Colombo High Court found Prabhakaran and three other rebels guilty of masterminding the attack, in which a truck loaded with explosives was rammed into the Central Bank on 31 January 1996, killing 91 people. He was sentenced in absentia to 200 years in jail on 51 counts.1 Nov 2002 · Dawn · LTTE leader sentenced to 200 years in jail: Peace talks begin
• Velupillai Prabhakaran / Signed for the LTTE / 2002 Ceasefire Agreement
  • The report names Prabhakaran as one of the two signatories, with the Prime Minister.23 Feb 2002 · Dawn · Sri Lankan govt, Tamil Tigers sign ceasefire accord
• Velupillai Prabhakaran / Reported killed in / End of the war, May 2009
  • Military sources said his body was found in an ambulance that troops had destroyed as it left the war zone, badly burned and subject to DNA testing; the reporter said it was unclear how he died. The military also said his 24-year-old son was found dead.19 May 2009 · Al Jazeera · Sri Lanka rebel chief 'killed'