Nadesan is the new head of LTTE's political wing

P Nadesan, LTTE's police chief, has been appointed the new head of the outfit's political wing to succeed the slain rebel leader S P Thamilselvan, who was honoured by the elusive Tiger supremo V Prabhakaran hours after he was killed in a raid by the Sri Lankan Air Force.

Prabhakaran appointed Nadesan, who had been a delegate to earlier peace talks between the rebels and the government, as the new political head of the LTTE, rebel spokesman Irasiah Ilanthiryan said in a statement .

"Nadesan, who is in charge of Tamil Eelam Police, will be in charge of the two departments from now on," Ilanthirayan said.

His appointment follows the killing of Thamilselvan along with five other rebel leaders in an aerial attack by the Sri Lankan security forces in northern Kilinochchi on Friday.

Prabhakaran went to the house of Thamilselvan on Friday evening and laid garlands on his remains. Thamilselvan was also declared a Brigadier, the highest rank conferred posthumously on any rebel leader by Prabhakaran since the outfit was formed in 1972.

The LTTE supremo also honoured others who were killed in the raid, including Anpumani (Alex) - who was known as the tech-expert of the outfit, Ilanthiryan said in the statement.

The LTTE spokesman described the attack by the Sri Lankan Air Force as "a cowardly assassination".

The outfit has also declared a three-day mourning. The defence ministry, meanwhile, said that ongoing fighting with the rebels in the island's embattled north claimed lives of two rebels yesterday while security forces captured a line of bunkers from the LTTE near an irrigation reservoir. The guerrillas denied losing their territory.