List of attacks attributed to the LTTE


The following is a list of chronological attacks against civilians and military attributed to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, 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

AttackDateLocationDeath tollSources
1990 massacre of Sri Lankan Police officers11 June 1990Eastern Province600–774 Police officers
Battle of Mullaitivu (1996)18 July 1996Northern Province1,498 officers and soldiers KIA or MIA
1987 Eastern Province massacres29 September 1987 – 8 October 1987Eastern Province200+
Kattankudy mosque massacre3 August 1990Kattankudy, Batticaloa District147
Xinhua, 147 Muslims Massacred by Tamil "Tigers" in Sri Lanka, Colombo, August 4, 1990
Anuradhapura massacre14 May 1985Anuradhapura, Anuradhapura District146
Habarana bus massacre17 April 1987Habarana, Anuradhapura District127
October 1995 Eastern Sri Lanka massacres16 October 1995Eastern Province120
Eravur massacre11 August 1990Eravur, Batticaloa District116-173
Central Bus Station Bombing21 April 1987Pettah, Colombo, Colombo District113
Palliyagodella massacre15 October 1991Palliyagodella, Polonnaruwa District109
2006 Digampathana bombing16 October 2006Digampathaha, Matale District99–103 soldiers
Central Bank bombing31 January 1996Colombo, Colombo District91
Alanchipothana massacre29 April 1992Alanchipothana, Polonnaruwa District69
Kurukkalmadam massacre13 July 1990Kurukkalmadam, Batticaloa District68-168
Kebithigollewa massacre15 June 2006Kebithigollewa, Anuradhapura District66
Dehiwala train bombing (1996)24 July 1996Dehiwala, Colombo District64
Kanthan Karunai massacre30 March 1987Jaffna, Jaffna District63
Kent and Dollar Farm massacres30 November 1984Mullaitivu District62
JOC bombing21 June 1991Flower Road, Colombo60
Lionair Flight 60229 September 1998off the coast of Mannar District55
Gonagala massacre18 September 1999Gonagala, Ampara District54
Assassination of Gamini Dissanayake Ossie Abeygunasekera24 October 1994Thotalanga, Colombo52
Mahakongaskada massacre10 October 1988Medawachchiya, Anuradhapura District44
Kallarawa massacre25 May 1995Kallarawa, Trincomalee District42
Aranthalawa Massacre2 July 1987Aranthalawa, Ampara District35
Erakkandy massacre2 July 1997Erakkandy, Trincomalee District34
Bogamuyaya massacre23 January 1991Bogamuyaya, Ampara District29
Buttala bus bomb16 January 2008Buttala, Monaragala District28
2008 Piliyandala bus bombing25 April 2008Piliyandala, Colombo26
2008 Moratuwa bus bombing 6 June 2008Katubedda, Moratuwa23
Assassination of C. V. Gunaratne8 June 2000Ratmalana, Colombo District22
Air Lanka Flight 5123 May 1986Bandaranaike International Airport, Gampaha District21
Havelock Road bombing/Assassination of Ranjan Wijeratne2 March 1991Havelock Road, Colombo19
1998 Temple of the Tooth attack25 January 1998Temple of the Tooth, Kandy17
Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi21 May 1991Sriperumbudur, Chennai, in Tamil Nadu, India15
1997 Colombo World Trade Centre bombing15 October 1997Colombo, Colombo District15
2007 Sri Lankan bus bombs6 January 2007Hikkaduwa, Galle District15
Akuressa suicide bombing10 March 2009Akuressa, Matara District14
Assassination of Ranasinghe Premadasa1 May 1993Armour Street, Colombo11
Fort railway station bombing3 February 2008Fort railway station, Colombo11
Kokilai massacre1 December 1984Kokilai, Mullaitivu District11
Gomarankadawala massacre23 April 2006Gomarankadawala, Trincomalee District6
2009 suicide air raid on Colombo20 February 2009Colombo, Colombo District2 LTTE pilots

Attacks by decade

Below are the deadliest attacks from each decade.

1970s

;1979
DateAttackLocationSinhaleseTamilsMuslimsDeath tollSources
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
DateAttackLocationSinhaleseTamilsMuslimsDeath tollSources
14 MayAnuradhapura 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 District146146

1990s

;1990
DateAttackLocationSinhaleseTamilsMuslimsDeath tollSources
11 June1990 massacre of Sri Lankan Police officers: Over 600 unarmed police officers are shot dead by the LTTE in Police Stations across eastern Sri LankaEastern Province600–774
3 AugustKattankudy mosque massacre: 147 Muslim males were gunned down in two mosque during evening prayers by the LTTE.Kattankudy147147Xinhua, 147 Muslims Massacred by Tamil "Tigers" in Sri Lanka, Colombo, August 3, 1990
11 August1990 Eravur massacre: Dozens of Muslim villagers killed by the LTTE in Eravur.Eravur116-173116-173

2000s

;2006
DateAttackLocationSinhaleseTamilsMuslimsDeath tollSources
16 October2006 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 Province103103