<p>A day after Selvarasa Pathmanathan, the head of the department of international relations of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), issued a statement confirming Prabhakaran's death in fighting in northern Sri Lanka last Monday, another powerful group within the rebel movement contradicted the claim.</p>.<p>The intelligence department of the rebels told the pro-rebel TamilNet website that the LTTE leadership was safe and would re-emerge when the right time comes.</p>.<p>The department for diaspora affairs of the LTTE said it would not comment without explicit authorisation from the LTTE leadership on the reported death, the TamilNet website said.</p>.<p>Other pro-rebel Tamil language websites also have refrained from carrying any statement by Pathmanathan.</p>.<p>However, in a statement Pathmanathan said that Prabhakaran had attained martyrdom and that they have declared a week of mourning.</p>.<p>His statement also called on Tamils worldwide to "restrain from harmful acts to themselves or anyone else in this hour of extreme grief".</p>.<p>Reports from various parts of the world with Tamil communities indicate that no mass mournings have been organised.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan government has said it had retained some specimens of Prabhakaran's body to carry out a DNA test if necessary.</p>.<p>Defence spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella said the government is prepared to conduct a DNA test but the defence establishment has no doubts that he is dead.</p>.<p>Prabhakaran's body has been cremated and the ashes thrown into the sea.</p>.<p>Earlier the government released pictures of Prabhakaran's body after he was reported to have been killed in a gun battle May 17 in northern Sri Lanka. The military crushed the rebels and declared victory, ending a conflict lasting over 25 years.</p>
<p>A day after Selvarasa Pathmanathan, the head of the department of international relations of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), issued a statement confirming Prabhakaran's death in fighting in northern Sri Lanka last Monday, another powerful group within the rebel movement contradicted the claim.</p>.<p>The intelligence department of the rebels told the pro-rebel TamilNet website that the LTTE leadership was safe and would re-emerge when the right time comes.</p>.<p>The department for diaspora affairs of the LTTE said it would not comment without explicit authorisation from the LTTE leadership on the reported death, the TamilNet website said.</p>.<p>Other pro-rebel Tamil language websites also have refrained from carrying any statement by Pathmanathan.</p>.<p>However, in a statement Pathmanathan said that Prabhakaran had attained martyrdom and that they have declared a week of mourning.</p>.<p>His statement also called on Tamils worldwide to "restrain from harmful acts to themselves or anyone else in this hour of extreme grief".</p>.<p>Reports from various parts of the world with Tamil communities indicate that no mass mournings have been organised.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan government has said it had retained some specimens of Prabhakaran's body to carry out a DNA test if necessary.</p>.<p>Defence spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella said the government is prepared to conduct a DNA test but the defence establishment has no doubts that he is dead.</p>.<p>Prabhakaran's body has been cremated and the ashes thrown into the sea.</p>.<p>Earlier the government released pictures of Prabhakaran's body after he was reported to have been killed in a gun battle May 17 in northern Sri Lanka. The military crushed the rebels and declared victory, ending a conflict lasting over 25 years.</p>