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Events on Monday 18 May 2009 1
2009Sri Lankan Civil War endsGovernment forces defeat the Tamil TigersThe Sri Lankan military declared victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), killing rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and ending a 26-year civil war. The final months of fighting caused heavy civilian casualties in the north of the island. The war's end left lasting questions over wartime conduct on both sides.