By IRNA,
New Delhi : India has extended ban on Sri Lankan rebels, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) by two years.
Declaring LTTE as an unlawful association, India’s Union Home Ministry Wednesday issued the notification to this effect.
The LTTE, also known as Tamil Tigers, is a militant group that has waged a violent campaign against the Sri Lankan government since the 1970s.
It has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation by several countries including the United States.
The LTTE was involved in the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991 and the group has been banned in India since 1992.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has welcomed India’s decision to extend the ban on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and described it as New Delhi’s policy of not extending support to terrorism.
“This is in keeping with India’s tradition of having banned the LTTE and not endorsing the outfit’s separatism and support for terrorism,” PTI reported here quoting sources in the Sri Lankan Presidential secretariat.
“Therefore this move by India is welcome,” the sources said.
In view of hostilities between Sri Lankan security forces and the LTTE, vigil has also been stepped up in 21 islands in the Palk Straits.
More than 70,000 people are reported to have lost their lives in the ethnic strife involving Tamils in Sri Lanka during the last 25 years.