Tamil Tiger rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was killed today by Sri Lankan government forces, military officials said.
Prabhakaran and two of his top commanders, know as Soosai and Pottu Amman, drove in an armour-plated van accompanied by a bus filled with armed rebels towards approaching Sri Lankan forces this morning, the officials said.
A two-hour firefight broke out before the military launched a rocket at the van.
Troops pulled Prabhakaran’s body from the van and identified it as that of the rebel leader.