just because they are Tamils do not assume they support the LTTE
I quite agree, my wife is Tamil. I assure you she is no terrorist or freedom fighter.
Some background information for clarification.
Tamils are a Race of People, their homeland is in Tamil Nadu, India, with a population of about 63 Million.
In Sri Lanka, Sinhalese form the majority of the population (around 74%), with Tamils, who are mostly concentrated in the north and east of the island, forming the largest ethnic minority.
The LTTE and the Tamil minority run and control the north west of Sri Lanka, the central government has absolutely no powers in these areas and has been trying to retake them for years.
The LTTE is a politico-military organization that has been waging a secessionist campaign against the Sri Lankan government since the 1970s in order to secure a separate state for the Tamil majority regions in the north and east of Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon). The LTTE is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by 32 countries.
The LTTE is also considered a terrorist organisation by many Tamils living in India, the coastal stretches of Tamil Nadu are constantly monitored for LTTE activity due to concerns that they may be being resupplied from the homeland. This is not usually the case and the LTTE has very little support in Tamil Nadu.
The LTTE has almost no capacity for air strikes. In this case a light aircraft was used and small bombs were attached to the wings.
A worrying development, but not one which is expected to continue or become a main attack strategy.