Thousands of Tamils gathered across the Tamil homeland to mark Maaveerar Naal - or Great Heroes Day - and remember those who sacrificed their lives in the Tamil struggle for liberation. 

Students and family members gathered to remember the Mullaitivu Ayyankkulam massacre in which 6 students and 2 healthcare workers were killed by the Sri Lankan army.  

On November 27, 2007, 8 people, including six students and two staff, were killed in a claymore attack on an ambulance by the Sri Lankan army Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) in Ayyankulam area of Mullaitivu.

Marking the 33^rd Maaveerar Naal, People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL) has released a statement stressing that “Maaveerar Naal still serves as a powerful display of collective defiance against the Sri Lankan state’s narrative of a defeated Tamil nation”.

In their statement, they highlight that the roots of the conflict and the current economic collapse, Sinhala Buddhist nationalism remains unaddressed.

Preparations for Maaveerara Naal continued this morning in Mullaitivu, despite intimidation from Sri Lankan police and state forces. 

Businesses in Mullaitivu have closed today to mark Maaveerar Naal, as Tamils across the northeast gathers together to pay their respects.

Mullaitivu police threatened to shoot Tamils after tearing down red and yellow flags hoisted for Maaveeral naal commerotations.

Mullaitivu police threatened to shoot Tamils after tearing down red and yellow flags hoisted for Maaveeral Naal commemorations. 

Flowers were scattered at Nandikadal lagoon at sunrise today by Former Northern Provincial Councillor T. Ravikaran to mark Maaveerar Naal. 

"Nandikadal, which has been a silent witness to the atrocities subjected to the Tamil people, contains the tears and blood of our relatives," Ravikaran said. 

Thuyilum Illams across were cleaned in preparation of Maaveerar Naal tomorrow despite facing Sri Lankan military intimidation. 

Details being collected by Sri Lankan soldiers in Puli Painthakallu

Relatives of fallen LTTE cadres and residents finished clearing Kanagapuram Thuyilum Illam in Kilinochchi today. 

They collected broken gravestones to form a makeshift monument ahead of tomorrow's Maaveerar Naal remembrance event. 

The sixth day of 'Maaveerar vaaram', the week of remembrance preceding Maaveerar Naal, was observed in Nallur today. 

Relatives of fallen fighters and locals lit lamps in front of the 34 plaques that were erected earlier this week at a memorial hall in Nallur. The plaques list the names of tens of thousands of Tamil fighters who lost their lives in the Tamil struggle for liberation.