The head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam’s (LTTE) Political Division S.P. Tamilselvan was killed in a Sri Lankan Air Force aerial bombardment on Friday at 6.00 AM local time, according to a LTTE web site.

A note on the LTTE web site said: 

With deep sorrow we announce to the people of Tamil Eelam, the Tamil people living all over the world and the international community that at 6.00am today, Friday 2nd November 2007, Head of our organization’s Political Division, Brig. S P Tamilselvan was killed by the Sri Lankan Air Force aerial bombing. With him Lt Col Anpumani (Alex), Major Mihuthan, Major Nethagy, Lt Adchgivel, and Lt Mavaikkumaran were also killed.

The LTTE has been involved in a bitter war with the Sri Lankan armed forces for over 24 years now in a bid to carve out an independent homeland for the Tamil-speaking minority in the North and East of this island nation.

The war has so far claimed the lives of over 70,000 people in Sri Lanka, including 5,000 since early 2006.

The U.S. State Department has included the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on its list of foreign terrorist organizations since 1997.