Political allies of the separatist Tamil Tigers, defeated by Sri Lanka’s army in May, won several seats in the first local elections held in 11 years in the former war zone, while the ruling coalition swept the polls in the south.

The mixed results indicate that the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam still has strong support in the northern regions that it controlled for decades. The government’s strong result in the south was a clear sign of endorsement for the military’s victory over the LTTE.