The following is a list of chronological attacks against civilians and military attributed to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), commonly known as the Tamil Tigers. The attacks include massacres, bombings, robberies, ethnic cleansing, military battles and assassinations of civilian and military targets. The LTTE is a separatist militant group that fought for a separate Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka between 1976 and 2009. The rebel group has been banned by 33 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and the 27 member nations of the European Union.

In opposition to this list, there is also the List of attacks on civilians attributed to Sri Lankan government forces.

Notable and deadliest attacks

Attack Date Location Death toll Sources 1990 massacre of Sri Lankan Police officers Eastern Province 600–774 Police officers Battle of Mullaitivu (1996) Northern Province 1,498 officers and soldiers KIA or MIA (including unknown number of surrendered per the military, 50 police and 80 civilians) Situation Report, By Iqbal Athas 1987 Eastern Province massacres – 8 October 1987 Eastern Province 200+ Kattankudy mosque massacre Kattankudy, Batticaloa District 147 Xinhua, 147 Muslims Massacred by Tamil "Tigers" in Sri Lanka, Colombo, August 4, 1990 Anuradhapura massacre Anuradhapura, Anuradhapura District 146 Habarana bus massacre Habarana, Anuradhapura District 127 Letter sent by the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the Centre for Human Rights, Government of Sri Lanka, 9 August 1994 October 1995 Eastern Sri Lanka massacres Eastern Province 120 Eravur massacre Eravur, Batticaloa District 116-173 Central Bus Station Bombing Pettah, Colombo, Colombo District 113 Palliyagodella massacre Palliyagodella, Polonnaruwa District 109 2006 Digampathana bombing Digampathaha, Matale District 99–103 soldiers Central Bank bombing Colombo, Colombo District 91 Alanchipothana massacre Alanchipothana, Polonnaruwa District 69 Kurukkalmadam massacre Kurukkalmadam, Batticaloa District 68-168 Kebithigollewa massacre Kebithigollewa, Anuradhapura District 66 Dehiwala train bombing (1996) Dehiwala, Colombo District 64 Kanthan Karunai massacre Jaffna, Jaffna District 63 Kent and Dollar Farm massacres Mullaitivu District 62 JOC bombing Flower Road, Colombo 60 Lionair Flight 602 off the coast of Mannar District 55 Gonagala massacre Gonagala, Ampara District 54 Assassination of Gamini Dissanayake Ossie Abeygunasekera Thotalanga, Colombo 52 Latest Killing of a Sri Lanka Politician Fits a Familiar Pattern, The New York TimesGamini Dissanayake, the last of men , Ceylon Today Mahakongaskada massacre Medawachchiya, Anuradhapura District 44 Kallarawa massacre Kallarawa, Trincomalee District 42 Aranthalawa Massacre Aranthalawa, Ampara District 35 Erakkandy massacre Erakkandy, Trincomalee District 34 Bogamuyaya massacre Bogamuyaya, Ampara District 29 Buttala bus bomb Buttala, Monaragala District 28 2008 Piliyandala bus bombing Piliyandala, Colombo 26 2008 Moratuwa bus bombing Katubedda, Moratuwa 23 Assassination of C. V. Gunaratne Ratmalana, Colombo District 22 Sri Lanka suicide bomber kills 22, The GuardianDisciplined and respected political culture soon , Daily News Air Lanka Flight 512 Bandaranaike International Airport, Gampaha District 21 Havelock Road bombing/Assassination of Ranjan Wijeratne Havelock Road, Colombo 19 The Assassination Of Ranjan Wijeratne, Colombo Telegraph 1998 Temple of the Tooth attack Temple of the Tooth, Kandy 17 Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi Sriperumbudur, Chennai, in Tamil Nadu, India 15 Tamil Tiger 'regret' over Gandhi, BBC1991: Bomb kills India's former leader Rajiv Gandhi, BBC 1997 Colombo World Trade Centre bombing Colombo, Colombo District 15 British tourists wounded in Tamil Tiger bomb blast 2007 Sri Lankan bus bombs Hikkaduwa, Galle District 15 Akuressa suicide bombing Akuressa, Matara District 14 Assassination of Ranasinghe Premadasa Armour Street, Colombo 11 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (aka Tamil Tigers) (Sri Lanka, separatists) , Council on Foreign Relations Fort railway station bombing Fort railway station, Colombo 11 Kokilai massacre Kokilai, Mullaitivu District 11 Gomarankadawala massacre Gomarankadawala, Trincomalee District 6 2009 suicide air raid on Colombo Colombo, Colombo District 2 LTTE pilots

Notes

*.This is not the complete list, refer to the attacks by decades for a complete list of attacks

Attacks by decade Below are the deadliest attacks from each decade.

1970s

1979 Date Attack Location Sinhalese Tamils Muslims Death toll Sources S. A. Emmanuel of Chankanai, Thaadi Thangarajah of Kondavil, A. Krishnagol of Velvettiturai, T. Poopalasingham of Chunnakam and A. Sivarajah of Thondamannar are executed by the LTTE for providing evidence against them to the police. Jaffna District55 PC Gnanasambandan, PC Sivanesan, Inspector Guruswamy, S. Swarnarajah and his wife are executed by the LTTE. Jaffna District55

1980s

1985 Date Attack Location Sinhalese Tamils Muslims Death toll Sources 14 May Anuradhapura massacre: LTTE gunmen shoot dead 146 Sinhalese civilians and injure 85 others as they were praying at Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, a sacred Buddhist shrine in Anuradhapura. Anuradhapura, Anuradhapura District146 146

1990s

1990 Date Attack Location Sinhalese Tamils Muslims Death toll Sources 11 June 1990 massacre of Sri Lankan Police officers: Over 600 unarmed police officers are shot dead by the LTTE in Police Stations across eastern Sri Lanka Eastern Province 600–774 3 August Kattankudy mosque massacre: 147 Muslim males were gunned down in two mosque during evening prayers by the LTTE. Kattankudy 147 147 Xinhua, 147 Muslims Massacred by Tamil "Tigers" in Sri Lanka, Colombo, August 3, 1990 11 August 1990 Eravur massacre: Dozens of Muslim villagers killed by the LTTE in Eravur. Eravur 116-173 116-173

2000s

2006 Date Attack Location Sinhalese Tamils Muslims Death toll Sources 16 October 2006 Digampathana bombing: A suicide bomber in a truck kills 103 Sri Lanka Navy sailors on buses going on, or returning from, leave at a transit point and wounds over 150 other sailors. Several civilians may also have died. Digampathana, North Central Province 103 103 USA Today: Fighter jets pound suspected rebel camp after suicide bombing kills 95 sailors, October 17, 2006

Attacks by type

Suicide bombings

Assassinations

See also List of attacks on civilians attributed to Sri Lankan government forces List of people assassinated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

References