Sathasivam Krishnakumar (; 2 January 1960 – 16 January 1993; commonly known by the nom de guerre Kittu) was a Sri Lankan Tamil rebel and leading member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a separatist Tamil militant organisation in Sri Lanka. Early life and family Krishnakumar was born on 2 January 1960. He was the son of Sathasivam and Rajaluxmy (Seethalakshmi) from Valvettithurai in northern Ceylon. Sathasivam owned the Kumar Achchakam printing press in Nelliady. Rajaluxmy was a supporter of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi and took part in the 1961 satyagraha. Krishnakumar had one brother and two sisters. He was educated at Chithambara College, Valvettithurai and Velautham Maha Vidyalayam. V. Prabhakaran and Mahattaya were also educated at Chithambara College. Prabhakaran was also a close relative and friend of Krishnakumar. LTTE Krishnakumar was involved in helping Tamil refugees who fled to the Jaffna peninsula following the 1977 anti-Tamil riots. Deeply affected by the suffering of the refugees, Krishnakumar joined the militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 1978. He was given the nom de guerre Kittu. He then travelled, along with LTTE leader Prabhakaran, to Madras, India. LTTE member Seelan (Charles Lucas Anthony), a close associate of Prabhakaran, was killed in a confrontation with the Sri Lanka Army in Meesalai on 15 July 1983. On 20 July 1983 the Sri Lankan government banned all reporting about the LTTE. In response, the LTTE planned to ambush an army military convoy. On 23 July 1983, at around 11.30 pm, the LTTE ambushed the Four Four Bravo military patrol in Thirunelveli near Jaffna. Thirteen soldiers were killed on the spot, two died later and a number of LTTE cadres were also killed. LTTE members involved in the ambush included Prabhakaran, Kittu, Appaiah, Chellakili, Iyer, Pulendran, Santos and Victor. The ambush precipitated the Black July anti-Tamil riots in which between 400 and 3,000 Tamils were killed by Sinhalese mobs. Kittu then became the LTTE's Jaffna regional commander. Unusually, Kittu would personally lead LTTE's operations against the Sri Lankan military. Kittu is credited with instilling discipline amongst the LTTE cadres. He would punish harshly LTTE cadres who violated their code of ethics and civilians who committed minor offences. He established kangaroo courts in Jaffna peninsula to create a state of fear amongst the population. In April 1986 the LTTE banned rival militant organisation Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) and set about killing its