Black Tigers
They were specially selected and trained LTTE cadres whose missions included direct action, irregular warfare, and mounting suicide attacks primarily against military targets.
[1] Experts estimated that the Black Tigers had carried out the most suicide attacks reported around the world by the time the Sri Lankan civil war ended in 2009.
This was a hugely effective retaliatory attack using explosives from the Indian Research and Analysis Wing after the Sri Lankan Army's Operation Liberation had been halted under pressure from the Government of India and the subsequent signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord.
On 10 August 1994, the first female Sea Black Tiger, Captain Angayarkanni, single-handedly destroyed a Sri Lankan Navy Surveillance Command Centre Ship off the coast of Kankesanthurai.
[22] On 24 October 1994, the then leader of opposition and Member of Parliament Gamini Dissanayake, two former Ministers, several politicians, military and other security personnel were assassinated in a suicide attack carried by a female Black Tiger.
[23][24] On 19 April 1995, four Sea Black Tiger Frogmen sank two navy gunboats in the Trincomalee Harbour, resulting in the start of Eelam War III.
[30] On 29 May 1999, a Black Tiger wearing a suicide vest assassinated the leader of the military wing of the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front P. Ganeshmoorthy by riding a bicycle into his garage and jumping on him as he was selling a motorcycle to a paramilitary operative.
[31] On 18 December 1999, a Black Tiger wearing a suicide vest assassinated retired Major General Lakshman Algama at a UNP election rally at Ja-Ela, Colombo.
[34] On 24 July 2001, an elite unit of 14 Black Tigers attacked Bandaranaike International Airport, causing an estimated of US$350 million worth of damage to military and civilian aircraft.
[26] On 26 June 2006, a Black Tiger assassinated Lieutenant General Parami Kulatunga by driving an explosives-laden motorbike into his Peugeot 406 staff car at Panipitiya as he was on his way to army headquarters from his official quarters at the Panagoda Cantonment.
[38] On 6 April 2008, Minister of Highways & Road Development Jeyaraj Fernandopulle was assassinated by a Black Tiger who exploded himself at the start of a marathon race which was part of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebration in Weliveriya town.
Fernandopulle was the chief government whip for the ruling SLFP party and was infamous for his ardent nationalistic stance favouring the Sinhala Buddhist majority.
[39] On 9 September 2008, an elite unit of 10 Black Tigers raided the joint headquarters of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces in Vanni, situated in Vavuniyaa town.
[40] On 6 October 2008, retired Major General Janaka Perera was killed by a Black Tiger who exploded his suicide vest after embracing the minister during a political rally in Anuradhapura.
Relatively, there were fewer operations in the south, where most of the Sinhalese live, especially in the capital city, Colombo, although such attacks often engaged high-profile targets and attracted much international publicity as a result.
