Thousands gather to remember victims of civil war in Sri Lanka
Thousands of Tamils in Northern Sri Lanka observed the 10th anniversary of the brutal civil war between the government and LTTE by lighting oil lamps and remembering those who lost their lives in the over three-decade-long conflict.
Tamils gathered at Vellamullivaikkal, the scene of the final battle on May 18, 2009 when the government forces killed Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE) chief Velupillai Prabhakaran, bringing to an end the bloody armed conflict fought mainly in the north and east of the island nation.
At least 100,000 people were killed in the conflict. Thousands of people, including security personnel, are still reported to be missing after the war.
According to the Army, 27,000 soldiers were lost in the war.
The anniversary falls nearly a month after Easter Sunday bombings, the worst terror attack in the country that killed 258 people and injured over 500 others.
The event saw attendance from people of all age groups. A child who lost her mother during the war lit .