Prabhakaran alive, claims pro-LTTE website

COLOMBO: A pro-LTTE website on Tuesday claimed that the Tamil Tigers supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran is still "alive and safe", a day after Sri Lankan army announced that it has killed the top rebel leader. "I wish to inform the global Tamil community distressed witnessing the final events of the war that our beloved leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is alive and safe," LTTE's international relations head S Pathmanathan was quoted as saying by the website, which usually puts out the rebels' version on the battle with the Sri Lankan armed forces. " Prabhakaran will continue to lead the quest for dignity and freedom for the Tamil people," he said. The website, however, did not give the details of Prabhakaran's location. The army had claimed Prabhakaran and his top aides came out of their last hiding place in a small convoy of van and an ambulance and tried to drive out of the war zone, but were gunned down.