LTTE leader Prabhakaran reported dead as Tamil Tigers surrender
May 17th, 2009 - 6:12 pm ICT by John Le Fevre
Surrounded on all sides by the Sri Lankan Army, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), or Tamil Tigers as they are more commonly termed, have announced their surrender amidst news their leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, is dead.
The final round in what has been a long and drawn out campaign by the militant group for an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka came as news surfaced that the Sri Lankan military has recovered more than 150 bodies from the last remaining LTTE stonghold.
According to reports on CNN-IBN, the body of what is believed to be the 54-year-old LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, along with about 150 others were found when government troops stormed the final LTTE stronghold in the Mullivaaikkaal area of Karaithuraipatru AGA division of Mullaitheevu district.
In a statement posted on the TamilNet website, the LTTE said its decades long struggle for a Tamil homeland, “has reached its bitter end.”
Sri Lankan military sources claim to have intercepted radio transmission in which the LTTE “Thalaivar” (leader) and “poraligal” (fighters) discussed “Veeramaranam” (heroic death) in accordance with their past practice of committing suicide.
The Sri Lankan government said the bodies of those found in the LTTE base were being taken to an army camp in Colombo where a post-mortem will be conducted to confirm the identities of the bodies.
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- A candid post-mortem of the LTTE (Book Review) - Jul 16, 2012
- Yechuri wants 'justice' for Tamils - Mar 13, 2012
- LTTE decides to end its bloody armed struggle (Lead) - May 17, 2009
- Prabhakaran's father to be cremated Sunday - Jan 09, 2010
- Prabhakaran's mother dies in Sri Lanka - Feb 20, 2011
- Prabhakaran to blame for LTTE's demise, says Karuna - Dec 14, 2010
- Sri Lanka refuses entry to Indian politicians - Feb 22, 2011
- Ahead of elections, pro-LTTE journal attacks Karunanidhi - Apr 11, 2011
- A Sri Lankan Tamil who could have made a difference (Comment) - Nov 19, 2011
- LTTE defeated, Sri Lanka free from terror: army chief - May 18, 2009
- India, LTTE met 'secretly' before Sri Lanka truce: Eric Solheim - Nov 13, 2011
- LTTE chief V. Prabhakaran's ancestral house destroyed - May 04, 2010
- Sri Lanka declares end of war against LTTE after killing Prabhakaran - May 18, 2009
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