Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi has said Tamil Tiger chief Vellupillai Prabhakaran is his 'good friend' and he would have 'deep regrets' if the Sri Lankan rebel leader was killed during the military operations in the island nation.

'I will deeply regret it (if Prabhakaran is killed). I will regret it. I will say it happened because of a lack of unity among the Tamil groups in Sri Lanka,' Karunanidhi told NDTV.

Asked if he sees the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) chief as a terrorist, Karunanidhi said: 'No, I don't. Some people in Prabhakaran's group might be involved in terrorism. But that is not Prabhakaran's fault.'

'Prabhakaran is a good friend, and I am not a terrorist.'He said the LTTE, which has been fighting a separatist war for an independent homeland for minority Tamils in Sri Lanka, has a 'legitimate objective'.

'But the manner in which they go about it is wrong,' the DMK leader said.'Terrorism is different,' Karunanidhi said asked how was it possible not to recognise the LTTE as a terrorist organisation.

The LTTE is known to be one of the most dreaded terror groups in the world involved in many civilian killings, including the assassination of former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.