Velupillai Prabhakaran

Prabhakaran founded the LTTE, a militant Tamil separatist organization, after the failure of non-violent Tamil political movements. The LTTE aimed to establish an independent Tamil state (Eelam) in northern and eastern Sri Lanka, using armed struggle and guerrilla tactics.

The LTTE under Prabhakaran's leadership pioneered the use of suicide bombings as a military tactic, including the use of the Black Tigers unit. The first major suicide attack was in 1987 against a Sri Lankan Army camp. This tactic was later adopted by other militant groups globally.

By 1990, the LTTE had established a de facto state in the Jaffna Peninsula and parts of the Vanni, complete with a civil administration, police force, courts, and a navy. This state functioned independently of the Sri Lankan government until the final military defeat in 2009.

An LTTE suicide bomber assassinated former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in Sriperumbudur, India. The assassination was in retaliation for India's intervention in Sri Lanka via the Indian Peace Keeping Force. This event severely damaged the LTTE's international reputation.

Prabhakaran was killed by the Sri Lankan Army during the final phase of the civil war near Nandikadal Lagoon in Mullaitivu. His death, along with the destruction of the LTTE's leadership, marked the end of the 26-year armed conflict and the defeat of the Tamil separatist movement.