Washington, Jan 23 (IANS) Two men caught while trying to buy missiles and hundreds of AK-47 automatics rifles for the now routed Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka were jailed for 14 to 26 years by a US court.

Sathajhan Sarachandran and Nadarasa Yogarasa were sentenced to 26 and 14 years in prison respectively for attempting to purchase $1 million worth of high-powered weaponry for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The sentences were imposed Friday by Chief US District Judge Raymond J. Dearie.

In January 2009, Sarachandran pleaded guilty to providing, conspiring to provide and attempting to provide material support to the LTTE and conspiring and attempting to acquire guided surface-to-air missiles and missile launchers for the group.

Yogarasa pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to the LTTE and conspiring to do so.

The US Attorney's Office of the Eastern District of New York said Aug 19, 2006 that Sarachandran, Yogarasa and two co-defendants were arrested on Long Island after engaging in negotiations with an undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent.

The men wanted to purchase and export 20 SA-18 heat-seeking missiles, ten missile launchers, 500 AK-47s and other military equipment for the LTTE.

The defendants were acting at the direction of the LTTE leadership in Sri Lanka, including Pottu Amman, the LTTE's chief of intelligence and procurement who was close to LTTE chief Velupillai Prabakharan.

Both Prabhakaran and Pottu Amman were killed in a Sri Lankan military offensive in May last year. Both were wanted in India for the 1991 killing of former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

The LTTE intended to use the SA-18 missiles to shoot down Kfir aircraft used by the Sri Lankan military, the statement said.

'The defendants attempted to use this district as a terrorist arms depot,' said US Attorney Campbell.

'The sentences handed down send a clear message - we will use the full force of the law to stop terrorist organisations and their supporters in their tracks.'