Velupillai Prabhakaran was a Sri Lankan militant leader and the founder of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist organization that sought to create an independent Tamil state in Sri Lanka. Born on November 26, 1954, he became a prominent figure in the Sri Lankan civil conflict, which lasted for nearly three decades. Prabhakaran was known for his strategic military tactics and the use of guerrilla warfare. Under his leadership, the LTTE gained control over significant territories in northern and eastern Sri Lanka. He was killed by government forces in May 2009, marking a pivotal moment in the civil war's conclusion.