Brigadier Balraj, a senior and a special commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE), passed away Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. of a sudden heart attack in Vanni, LTTE's Head Quarters said. Brigadier Balraj was the first commander of the LTTE's conventional fighting formation, Charles Antony Brigade, established in 1991 and he served as a key commander in LTTE's major operations, including the LTTE operation on the SLA garrison in Elephant Pass in year 2000. The LTTE leadership has announced national mourning for three days on 21, 22 and 23rd of May.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter's Atlanta based Carter Center, in a statement issued on Friday has urged the U.N. General Assembly not to re-elect Sri Lanka to the Human Rights Council in the upcoming Council elections. Six countries -- Bahrain, Japan, Pakistan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Timor Leste – are competing for four open seats in the Asian Group of U.N. member states.

"I have received information that Sri Lanka Police personnel and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were involved in several white van abductions. Reluctance of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and other law enforcement officials to take timely steps to investigate these crimes is clear evidence of widespread violations of human rights and breakdown of law and order," said Sri Lankan Deputy Minister for Vocational Training and Industrial Education, P. Rathakrishnan, during a meeting with the relatives of the disappeared held late last week at the Colombo 14 offices of the Upcountry People's Front (UPF), Tamil daily Thinakkural reported in the Sunday edition.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) on Sunday thwarted a ground movement launched by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) from Irungka'ndalku'lam towards Va'n'naaku'lam in Mannaar claiming that at least 26 SLA soldiers were killed in the fighting and that more than 50 SLA soldiers were wounded. The Tigers have located 6 dead bodies of the SLA soldiers in the clearing mission. Two Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) launchers and six T-56 assault rifles were among the weapons seized by the Tigers. Three Tiger fighters were killed in action, according to the LTTE officials in Vanni.

Unidentified men lobbed two hand grenades Sunday night about 8:30 p.m. in Kalkudaa, Batticaloa district targeting the residence of Arumugam Jeagan who contested on behalf of United National Party (UNP) during the recently concluded Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) Elections, Kalkudaa police said.

Akkaraippattu police arrested Friday afternoon three suspects alleged to have been involved in the killing of a Muslim person, the driver of a three-wheeler beaten to death Thursday night at Periyavaaykkaal in Aalangku'lam, a Tamil area in Akkaraippattu police division. All three suspects involved in the killing of Akbar Miller, 27, are Muslim youths, Police said.

A three-wheeler fitted with a bomb rammed into a bus carrying riot control police personnel, few hundred meters away from the Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat, Friday noon, killing 10 persons, 7 policemen and 3 civilians, and injuring 6 Sri Lanka Army soldiers, 30 policemen and 59 civilians. The explosion has taken place on Lotus Road inside the High Security area near the Hilton Hotel. 12 wounded policemen were in critical condition, according to medical sources in Colombo hospital.