17 years after Sri Lanka brought an end to the conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), commemorations are being held across the island to mark the conclusion of the nearly three-decade-long civil conflict. Sri Lankan authorities marked May 18, 2009, as the day the military campaign against the LTTE concluded following the death of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran in the Nandikadal lagoon area in northern Sri Lanka.

The LTTE has been held responsible for a series of attacks on civilian, economic and religious targets, including the Central Bank in Colombo and the international airport at Katunayake. A National Victory Day commemoration is scheduled to be held in Battaramulla tomorrow under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, with participation of families of security personnel who lost their lives during the conflict.