The following is a 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 from the late 1970s to May 2009, until it was defeated by the Sri Lankan Military.
Nom de Guerre Real Name Date & Placeof Birth Date & Placeof Death Position(s) NotesThambi (used only by closest associates), Anna (elder brother) and Karikalan(another name)VelupillaiPrabhakaran Valvettithurai Vellamullivaikkal Leader of the LTTE Supreme leader of the LTTE, which waged a 25-year civil war in Sri Lanka against the Sri Lankan government. His death in Nanthikadal lagoon, Vellamullivaikkal, Mullaitivu, brought an immediate end to the Sri Lankan Civil War.Lt. Colonel Bharathan Barathan RajanayagamThirunelveli London, United Kingdom Founder of Nitharsanam and Pulikalin Kural Major Commander of the LTTE, Bharathan pushed for the formation of a media division of the LTTE. He created Nitharsanam (meaning reality in truth, it was the television and newspaper department of the LTTE) and Pulikalin Kural (meaning the tigers' voice, it was the radio for the LTTE). Bharathan’s fearless style of cinematography allowed the LTTE to showcase live footage of the battlefield locally and globally. The rapid growth of the LTTE and their following abroad is largely credited to the success of their Media outlet.Pottu Amman aliasPapa Oscar aliasSobhigemoorthy alias Kailan alias KuruviShanmugalingam Shivashankar 1962Nayanmarkaddu (aged 47)Vellamullivaikkal Leader of Tiger Organization Security Intelligence Service (TOSIS) and Black Tigers Second-in-command of the LTTE. His death was initially disputed because the 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.Selvarasa Pathmanathanalias Kumaran Pathmanathanalias KP (23+ aliases) Shanmugam Kumaran Tharmalingam Kankesanthurai Leader of the LTTE since the death of Prabhakaran. Prior to that, served as the chief procurer of arms and head of the "Department of International Relations" of the LTTE As the chief arms procurer since the origin of the organisation, Pathmanathan was involved in all the vital administrative issues of the 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.Colonel Karuna Amman Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan 1966Kiran, Batticaloa LTTE leader of the Eastern Province 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 to renounce violence. In 2007, he created the political party TMVP. In 2008, he was appointed as a National List Member of Parliament. Later, he was sworn in as Minister of National Integration.Lt. Seelan Charles Lucas Anthony Church Street,Trincomalee Meesalai Second-in-command of LTTE as of 1983 Prabhakaran's right-hand man in the early stages of the LTTE. He was instrumental in the transformation of the 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. Prabhakaran paid tribute to Seelan by naming his elder son and the premier fighting brigade of LTTE after him.Colonel Kittu Sathasivam Krishnakumar Velvettithurai Indian Ocean Second-in-Command of LTTE, Leader of shipping Second-in-Command of the LTTE in the 1980s. He became crippled in a shoot-out in 1987. In 1993, Kittu committed suicide before he could be captured by the Indian Navy.Mahattaya Gopalaswamy Mahendraraja 1956Point Pedro (aged 38)Chavakacheri Second-in-Command of LTTE (1987–1993), Leader of People's Front of Liberation Tigers, Political wing of LTTE The LTTE intelligence wing found that Mahattaya was leaking information to India's Research and Analysis Wing, and plotting to assassinate Prabhakaran. He was arrested in March 1993, and executed in December 1994, on Prabhakaran’s orders. It was said that Mahattaya, along with nearly 257 cadres who were loyal to him, were lined up in a coconut estate located near Chavakacheri and shot, and their bodies dumped.Thamilselvan S. P. Thamilselvan Chavakacheri 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 (aged 52)Oddusuddan 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 was killed by a claymore attack of the Sri Lankan Army’s deep penetration unit in 2001.Admiral Colonel Soosai Thillaiyampalam Sivanesan Vellamullivaikkal Head of the Sea Tigers, naval wing of the LTTE Responsible for many successful attacks against the Sri Lanka Navy. He narrowly escaped during the Vadamarachchi Operation, but was killed during the Sri Lanka Army's final onslaught towards LTTE held areas in 2009.Brigadier Balraj alias Leema Balasegaram Kandiah Kokkuththoduvai Vellamullivaikkal Commander of the Charles Antony Brigade Responsible for many successful operations, including the Second Battle of Elephant Pass. Died of a sudden heart attack in 2008.Brigadier Theepanalias Tango Papa Velayuthapillai Baheerathakumar 1965Vavuniya (aged 44)Aanandapuram Overall military commander of LTTE in the final phase of Sri Lankan Civil War Posthumously promoted to Brigadier. He was a native of Thenmarachi division of Jaffna District. He joined LTTE in 1984 and eventually became a senior commander. He participated and led a number of battles against the 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 of the LTTE Northern fighting formations.THEEPAN OF THE LTTE: HEROIC SAGA OF A NORTHERN WARRIOR Rathnam Master Vellamullivaikkal Head of LTTE Military Intelligence wing, head of the air wing and the Radha Brigade A personal bodyguard of Prabhakaran; led the LTTE military wing after Colonel Theepan was killed in April 2009.Mathavan Master Ragunathan Pathmanathan 1958Alaveddy(aged 50)Vellamullivaikkal Head of LTTE Intelligence Training Centre, Training and Technology Department, Research & Publications Department. Senior member of the Tiger Organization Security Intelligence Service (TOSIS). He joined the LTTE in 1987. He was responsible for the training and development of advanced technologies for support of both the National and Military Intelligence: modifying weapons, explosive-filled vehicles, spy tools, etc. He also undertook the task of training TOSIS operatives. He was killed while fighting in Vellamullivaikkal, Mullaitivu in 2009 and his body was recovered by the SLA, which listed him as the LTTE Internal Intelligence leader.Kapil Amman Rajadurai Selvaraja 11.11.1957