KILINOCHCHI , Sri Lanka, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- The Tamil Tigers rebel group in Sri Lanka said a high-ranking political leader of the group was killed in a Sri Lankan airstrike.
The guerrilla group said S. P. Thamilselvam and five other Tamil Tiger officers were killed Friday morning in an "aerial bombardment" in the rebel-controlled Kilinochchi region, CNN reported.
Thamilselvam served as a negotiator for the Tamil Tigers during talks with Sri Lankan leadership, CNN said.
"The Sri Lanka air force attack has targeted the residence of the members of the political division," the statement read.
The airstrike follows an attack two weeks ago on a Sri Lankan air force base that involved rebel air and land forces. Sri Lankan military sources said 10 soldiers were killed in the attack and millions of dollars worth of equipment was destroyed.
The Tamil Tigers have been in conflict with the Sri Lankan government since 1983, when they demanded a separate homeland be established for the Tamil minority in the northern and eastern regions of the country.
