Senior Tamil Tiger leader killed

Mr Thamilselvan was the public face of the rebels

A senior leader of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels has been killed in a government air raid, the rebels say.
SP Thamilselvan was the head of the rebels' political wing and held an important position in their hierarchy.

The rebels said he died along with five others in an air strike by the Sri Lankan military on Friday morning.

Correspondents say the death will be a huge blow to the rebels. Fighting between troops and the Tamil Tigers has escalated in recent months.

Mr Thamilselvan was the public face of the rebels, meeting Norwegian peace envoys and giving interviews to the media.

The rebels' top leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, has been in hiding for years.

Mr Thamilselvan's death could provoke an escalation in the civil war, our correspondent says. How the rebels choose to retaliate also remains to be seen.

The death of SP Thamilselvan follows that of another key rebel spokesman, Anton Balasingham, last year.

With both men dead it is not clear who would lead the Tigers in any negotiations in the future, although few anticipate moves towards peace now, our correspondent adds.