LTTE chief Prabhakaran dead, 30-year-old war in Sri Lanka ends

Velupillai Prabhakaran, the ruthless LTTE supremo who led a bloody movement for over three decades for a separate Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka, was today killed by the army ending a saga of militancy that devoured over 70,000 lives, including a score of Tamil and Sinhalese leaders besides Rajiv Gandhi.

Prabhakaran, 54, was shot dead by Sri Lankan special forces as he tried to stage a dramatic breakout from the army encirclement, a military spokesman said.

"We have successfully ended the war," defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa told the president in a nationally-televised ceremony.

"Now the entire country is declared rid of terrorism," Army Chief Lt Gen Sarath Fonseka said declaring an end to all combat operations in the northern war zone.

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)," Wickramanayake said.

Celebrations broke out in the capital here as news spread of the death of Prabhakaran, who led the longest armed struggle in South Asia for nothing less than a separate homeland for Tamils.

However, the pro-LTTE website TamilNet.com did not comment on reports of Prabhakaran's death but said the outfit has launched a protest with the International Red Cross over the "massacre" of Charles Anthony, Puli Devan and B Nadesan.

Hours later, president Mahinda Rajapaksa rewarded Army Chief Sarath Fonseka by promoting him to the rank of General. Likewise, Navy Chief Wasantha Karannagoda has been made an Admiral and Air Force Chief Roshan Goonathilake the Air Chief Marshal.

The three defence chiefs became the first Armed Forces Commanders to hold four star ranks while in active service, the military 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.

Prabhakaran founded the LTTE in the late 1970s and carried out his first political murder against the mayor of Jaffna, Alfred Duraiappah, a fellow Tamil, by shooting him at point blank range while he was about to enter Hindu temple at Ponnaalai.