UN chief Ban Ki-moon has asked Sri Lanka to cooperate with the UN-mandated probe into allegations of war crimes committed towards the end of the nearly three decades-long civil war, according to his spokesman.

"The Secretary-General has always encouraged the Government of Sri Lanka to comprehensively address the post-war agenda and the Secretary-General has also echoed the calls made by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, for the Government to cooperate with the ongoing human rights probe.

President Rajapaksa has called a snap election on January 8, two years ahead of the schedule.

The Tamil Tigers were defeated after their leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was killed by the Sri Lankan forces in 2009.

Sri Lanka has come under increased scrutiny from international organisations for its rights accountability during the last phase of the conflict.

Both 69-year-old President Rajapaksa and Sirisena have advocated local mechanisms to deal with rights abuses.

President Rajapaksa yesterday promised a fresh "transparent" judicial probe into allegations that the army killed thousands of Tamil civilians towards the end of the nearly three decades-long civil war.

The promise of a probe by President Rajapaksa is being seen as a response to similar pledges made by his main challenger Sirisena.

(Economic Times)