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| Prabhakaran’s death confirmed , SL war over | | | Agencies
Colombo, May 18: Sri Lanka on Monday formally announced the end of war against the LTTE after Tiger chief V Prabhakaran was shot dead while trying to flee the war zone in northern Sri Lanka. It spelled the end of the more than three-decade long fight by the LTTE for a separate homeland for Tamils.
Prabhakaran, who was killed by the Sri Lankan special forces on Monday, led a ruthless movement for a Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka that decimated a score of Sinhalese and Tamil leaders and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Prabhakaran was shot dead as he tried to stage a dramatic breakout from the army encirclement, a military spokesman said.
The news of Prabhakaran's death also came along with reports of bodies of his son Charles Anthony and three other top leaders -- Pottu Amman, Soosai and Nadesan being found.
Prabhakaran and his top aides were driving in an armour-plated van accompanied by a clutch of rebels in a bus and approaching the Special Forces. A two-hour exchange of fire followed and the forces fired a rocket at the van brining an end to the battle, army sources said.
Prabhakaran's body was pulled out from the van and identified, they said. Prime Minister Ratnasri Wickramanayake said the army says they have killed him.
"The next step would be the development in the north (Tamil areas)," he said.
Prabhakaran, who had seen many a battle, could not survive the sustained assault from the Sri Lankan forces that began in November last year leading to displacement of the Tigers from their long-held de-facto capital of Kilinochchi and then from Mullaitivu.
The death of top LTTE leaders came a day after the Tamil Tigers conceded defeat saying the decades-old battle has reached its "bitter end" and they have decided to "silence" their guns.
Earlier in the morning, military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara had said that Prabhakaran was still alive but completely encircled by advancing Sri Lankan forces in a tiny jungle area north of Vellamullivaikkal after most of the LTTE's top leaders were found killed.
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