LTTE’s Prabhakaran shot dead along with leading cadre
May 18th, 2009 - 2:39 pm ICT by John Le Fevre
Velupillai Prabhakaran, the 54-year-old leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), or Tamil Tigers as they are more commonly termed, has been shot dead by Sri Lankan government forces.
A senior Sri Lankan defense official said today, May 18, 2009 that Prabhakaran, who founded and lead the militant group in their fight for an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for the last 33 years was shot dead while attempting to flee government forces.
The Sri Lankan Army has all but finished clearing out the last pockets of LTTE resistance in the Mullivaaikkaal area of Karaithuraipatru AGA division of Mullaitheevu district, but reported LTTE cadre are putting up a stiff resistance.
Also reportedly found dead were the LTTE’s police chief Ilango, its eastern leader, S. Ramesh, and deputy intelligence chief Kapil Amman.
On Sunday afternoon rumors were rife that Prabhakaran, along with around 150 LTTE cadre had chosen “Veeramaranam” (heroic death) in accordance with the groups past practice of committing suicide.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, May 19, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, will open a new session of parliament with an address that will officially mark the ending of the Sri Lankan Civil War – one of the longest running armed conflicts in Asia.
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Tags: 33 years, amman, committing suicide, conflicts in asia, heroic death, independent tamil state, intelligence chief, kapil, liberation tigers of tamil eelam, liberation tigers of tamil eelam ltte, mahinda rajapakse, militant group, police chief, s ramesh, sri lankan army, sri lankan government, sri lankan president, stiff resistance, tamil tigers, velupillai prabhakaran