A Tamil Tiger suicide attacker was shot dead Friday when he was about to attack the Army in the northern Jaffna peninsula, according to a Sri Lankan defense official.

The member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's (LTTE) deadly suicide cadre was shot dead around 12:00 p.m. local time ( 0630 GMT) at Savalkattu in the Jaffna town.

"The LTTE member wearing a suicide jacket was trying to attack a crowded military checkpoint when the Army opened fire at him," a defense official said.

Jaffna, the cultural capital of the minority Tamil community, has been under military control since December 1995.

The government has about 35,000 troops stationed in the Jaffna peninsula and the troops since December 2005 have been facing constant attacks by LTTE rebels.

Source: Xinhua