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At first blush, LTTE’s Prabhakaran appeared to have been executed, not KIA

Many readers know that I follow the Tamil Tigers (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)) both for their perfection of suicide terrorism and their remarkable ingenious homemade (still photos, video) weapons and asymmetrical applications, notably their modest air force, the Air Tigers, which I have compared to the earlier Biafra Babies of the Biafran secession. See Asymmetrical air force symmetries: Biafra Babies and Air Tigers, part II, 3/6/2009.

The Sri Lankan Army completed its military campaign Monday, 18 May, against the LTTE. (After years of battering by the smaller LTTE forces, Colombo dispensed with years of large unit tactics and adopted the same long range, small unit interdiction strategy used by the LTTE).

The key high value target for the government was the LTTE commander, Velupillai Prabhakaran. (Also here). Originally said to have been caught up in a firefight while escaping with other cadres in an ambulance (itself a Geneva violation), the government revised its commentary to say that Prabhakaran died along with other cadres in a sharp firefight.

Possibly. This government article confirming Prabhakaran’s death has images which show an entry wound above and between the eyes. (See images here and here, and this video.) There are no other obvious wounds to the body, and a kerchief oddly covers the back of Prabhakaran’s head, which I assume is to shade exit path damage, which is usually extensive) Forensics, if they are permitted by the government, could indicate proximity by presence or absence of powder residues on the face.