The Tigers originally attacked the Sri Lankan army in 1987 using suicide techniques. The 1983 bombing of the American embassy in Lebanon was reminiscent of that event. The Tiger’s repeated assaults, however, might well have signaled a pivotal moment whereby terror attacks started to be employed often by extremists all across the world. The pioneer and head of the Tigers, Velupillai Prabhakaran, fostered a mindset that praised martyrs and supported suicide bombings, forecasting the jihadists’ future tactics. In an ironic twist, the gang described the action as “offering yourself” rather than murder. Analysts claim that the Black Tigers, the group’s suicide squad, were responsible for the majority of suicide strikes that had been documented globally up to the moment when the civil war was finally declared over in 2009.
Certain Intelligence agencies classified the Tamil Tigers as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, for their use of suicide bombers, and suicide belts, and paved the way for the use of men and women in suicide bombings. According to popular belief, the LTTE embraced the use of suicide vests as a tactical weapon. It not only made accurate targeting possible, but it also intensified the general populace’s sense of horror and panic that anyone could be the next bomber.
The LTTE reportedly targeted Air Lanka. Air Lanka (now Lankan Airlines) flight 512 traveled from London Gatwick Airport to Colombo (Bandaranaike International Airport) via Malé, Maldives, and via Zurich and Dubai (Velana International Airport). Many French, German, British, and Japanese visitors transiting en route to the Maldives were on board the flight. Some were honeymooning couples, some were planning diving trips, and others were just looking forward to the sun, sand, and sea.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have set the device in order to thwart negotiations between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government, according to the Sri Lankan authorities. During multiple investigations and reports of the search, the aircraft turned up a package carrying uniforms bearing the Black Tigers’ suicide wing of the LTTE’s emblem which proved who was behind these heinous attacks.
A foreigner speaks to The Guardian about her tragic experience of the bombing of the LTTE Tristar attack
Did you know that the US and Italian diplomats were wounded by artillery bombardment from the Tamil Tiger rebels as they were landing from an Air Force helicopter at the military airfield in Batticaloa? This attack came in response to diplomatic pressure on the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE to end what is quickly turning into a full-scale “undeclared” war.
Commentators believe that the attack on the diplomats sent a negative message that further isolates Sri Lanka and hampered its chances of receiving foreign aid, which it desperately needs, particularly to address the issue of war refugees. Over one million people have been classified as refugees since last August, according to international humanitarian organizations, and the situation in the nation is quickly escalating into a disaster. The LTTE was busy making excuses for the attack while also accusing the government of bringing diplomats into a conflict zone with “childishness and irresponsibility.” The government dismissed the LTTE’s explanation that the guerillas were unaware that the plane they shot at was carrying foreign dignitaries.
The following snap shot of Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama greeting Italian Ambassador Pio Mariani who suffered head injuries in the LTTE artillery attack on diplomats in Batticaloa.
Figure 01 : The Gurdian & Figure 02 : Daily news.lk
The attacks resumed when the Galadari hotel was attacked, which targeted a large number of foreign visitors, and had long-lasting effects on travel and business at the time. There were 35 foreign visitors who were staying at the Hilton or Galadari for business or pleasure among the estimated 111 people who were severely hurt. Even if there were injuries, wounds, and bruises among the foreigners the physical harm, the trauma, and the shock remain the same for those who expired from the tragic attack. Numerous ambulances were observed leaving the hotel without sirens while helicopters flew overhead. The Galadarai Hotel, which is next to the Hilton Hotel, the World Trade Center, and is close to the Presidential Secretariat, was the target of gunmen from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam who detonated the bomb in its parking lot.
The LTTE also targeted high-profile assassinations of a foreign Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi and attempted assassination of a Foreign High-commissioner from Pakistan Bashir Wali Mohammed. The suicide bombing that killed The Prime Minister of India took place on May 21, 1991, in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, India. In addition to Rajiv Gandhi, at least 14 other people also died. The perpetrators were Kalaivani Rajaratnam and Dhan, who also went by the aliases Thenmozhi Rajaratnam and Dhan. According to the ruling by Judge K. T. Thomas of the Supreme Court of India, Rajiv Gandhi’s deploying of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to Sri Lanka and the alleged atrocities committed by the IPKF against Sri Lankan Tamils sparked Prabhakaran’s personal antipathy for Rajiv Gandhi.
Another popular example was the attack On August 14, 2006, when a three-wheeler explosion targeted the military convoy that was escorting Col. Bashir Wali’s diplomatic vehicle on Flower Road in Kolpity, killing seven people, including four special commandos of the Special Diplomatic Security Unit who were providing VVIP escort to the vehicle of the Pakistani High Commissioner in Sri Lanka. The Pakistani High Commissioner, according to the local Police, escaped unharmed.
These terrorist attacks should really be a chilling reminder to the international community, which has been obediently buying into their crafted lies and coverup narratives in an effort to win sympathy and support. Does the international community support those who hurt its citizens? The injured foreigner would be another citizen of your country. The LTTE diaspora has twisted the stories, and it is obvious that the foreign community has disregarded the hard work put in by the Sri Lankan government to appease them. As a result, the government of Sri Lanka finds itself in a precarious position at every UNHRC session.
Our adaptive country’s resilience lies in its potential to overcome the wounds of the past in the pursuit of a better present and a society built on peace. It should be highlighted, nonetheless, that the LTTE worldwide front is battling to discredit the historic triumph of the entire nation against terrorism and to weaken the national sovereignty of our country. At the moment, it is clear that Sri Lanka still faces a threat from expatriate front groups supporting the LTTE. The nation and its security services’ first priority is to defend the state and the country from these dangers.
Reference
Bulathsinghala, F. (2007). Attack on diplomats further isolates Sri Lanka. [online] DAWN.COM. Available at: https://www.dawn.com/news/235193/attack-on-diplomats-further-isolates-sri-lanka [Accessed 25Nov. 2022].
Michael, S. (2014). Experience: I was on a plane that blew up. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/sep/19/i-was-on-plane-that-blew-up-sri-lanka [Accessed 21 Nov. 2022].
Thuppahi’s Blog. (2021). Boom! 3rd May 1986: Air Lanka’s Tristar 36 blown up on Runway by LTTE. [online] Available at:
https://thuppahis.com/2021/04/01/boom-3rd-may-1986-air-lankas-tristar-36-blown-up-on-runway-by-ltte/ [Accessed 23Nov. 2022].
www.sundaytimes.lk. (n.d.). The Sunday Times On The Web – Plus. [online] Available at: https://www.sundaytimes.lk/971019/plusm.html [Accessed 28 Nov. 2022].
