May 21, Colombo: A senior commander of the LTTE, known as "Brigadier Balraj" who has led several attacks against the Sri Lankan military earlier died of a heart attack in Kilinochchi on Tuesday, the LTTE announced.

Quoting the LTTE's head quarters, the pro-LTTE web site Tamilnet said the self-styled brigadier died on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. of a sudden heart attack in Vanni. It also said that Balraj was the “first commander of the LTTE's conventional fighting formation, Charles Antony Brigade, established in 1991.”

The Tigers have declared three days of mourning in areas under their control, starting Wednesday.

In 2003 during the Ceasefire agreement Balraj had a heart surgery in Singapore and was hospitalized for three months earlier this year.