33 LTTE terrorist suspects have been arrested by the Italian anti-terrorist police during a massive country-wide counter insurgency operation conducted on Tuesday (June 17), foreign news agencies report.

The 33 Tamils all from Sri Lanka were detained alleged for involving in activities and supporting the internationally banned terrorist outfit, LTTE, news sources said citing an Italian police statement. According to the sources, about 200 police personnel were involved in the simultaneous raids on suspected LTTE Tiger hideouts in eight different cities - from Genoa in the north to Palermo on the Mediterranean island of Sicily.

The massive counter LTTE operation by the Italian police comes in the wake of the Canadian government's decision to list the World Tamil Movement (WTM) as a terrorist organization, under the Criminal Code of Canada on Monday (16).

Three months ago the Italian authorities closed down an illegal Tamil Tiger propaganda TV channel operating from Italian territory.

The LTTE is a ruthless terrorist outfit notorious for crimes against innocent civilians led by the terror psychopath, Prabakaran. In its pursuit for a mono ethnic separate homeland for Tamils since 1983, the outfit has killed and maimed over tens and thousands of innocent children, Tamils and Sinhalese political leaders in indiscriminate bomb attacks.

Meanwhile, defence analysts are of the view that the intensification of anti-LTTE operations by the IC recently is a positive gesture supporting the SL government's efforts towards eradicating terrorism.