Chronology of war

Here are the key dates from what was one of Asia's longest-running and bloodiest conflicts.

1972:

Armed with just a revolver, Velupillai Prabhakaran forms a Tamil militant group that eventually becomes the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

July 23, 1983:

LTTE ambushes an Army patrol, killing 13 soldiers in Jaffna and sparking anti-Tamil riots elsewhere that leave about 600 people dead.

July 8, 1985:

The Government opens first direct talks with the LTTE. They fail.

July 29, 1987:

India and Sri Lanka reach agreement on deployment of Indian Peace Keeping Force.

March 24, 1990:

India loses 1,200 troops at the hands of the LTTE, and withdraws to leave the Tigers in control of large swathes of the North.

May 21, 1991:

Former Indian Premier Rajiv Gandhi killed, allegedly by an LTTE suicide bomber.

May 1, 1993:

President Ranasinghe Premadasa killed by LTTE suicide bomber.

December 2, 1995:

The Army captures Jaffna.

July 18, 1996:

The Tigers overrun an Army camp in Mullaittivu, killing 1,200 troops.

October 8, 1997:

The United States declares the LTTE a foreign terrorist organization.

January 25, 1998:

An LTTE suicide bomb devastates the Temple of the Tooth, killing 17 people.

September 26, 1998:

Tigers overrun Kilinochchi Army camp, killing more than 1,000 soldiers.

Attack on Sri Dalada Maligawa

LTTE’s sucide attacks aiming innocent civilians, Ministers and Security personnel

February 2001:

Britain outlaws the LTTE as a terrorist organization, followed by Canada and Australia.

July 2001:

Suicide attack by Tigers on the International airport Katunayake kills 14.

February 23, 2002:

The Government and Tigers sign a Norwegian-brokered ceasefire agreement.

December 2002:

At peace talks in Norway, the Government and Tigers agree to share power, with the minority Tamils enjoying autonomy in the North and East.

March 3, 2004:

Renegade Tamil Tiger Commander V. Muralitharan, known as Karuna, leads a damaging split from main rebel movement.

January 2, 2008:

The Government withdraws from the ceasefire agreement and steps up attacks against the Tigers.

January 2, 2009:

The Forces capture Kilinochchi, leaving the Tigers only Mullaittivu.

January 25, 2009:

The troops capture the Mullaittivu town, confining the terrorists to a stretch of jungle.

February 3, 2009:

The Army says it has captured an elaborate underground bunker complex believed to have been the home of the leader of the Tigers, as well as their last jungle airstrip.

March 13, 2009:

The United Nations human rights chief says both sides in the conflict could be guilty of war crimes.

April 14, 2009:

The Tigers say they are ready to negotiate a ceasefire and restart peace talks. The Government refuses and tells them to surrender.

April 20, 2009:

Tens of thousands of trapped civilians manage to flee from the shrinking area under Tiger control.

May 13, 2009:

The UN Security Council for the first time asks warring parties to spare civilians as the world body describes fighting in the last remaining patch of Tiger territory as a "bloodbath" for civilians.

May 16, 2009:

President Mahinda Rajapaksa says the Tigers have been militarily defeated.

May 17, 2009:

In an admission of defeat, the Tigers say their battle "has reached its bitter end" and that they have "decided to silence our guns".

May 18, 2009:

Defence officials say Prabhakaran and his two deputies are shot dead while trying to flee advancing troops.

Army Chief Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka declares an end to military operations after troops overrun final LTTE holdout, leaving the entire island under Government control.

AFP