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More violence in east Sri Lanka Heavy fighting in east Sri Lanka
(about 10 hours later)
Sri Lanka's military says seven soldiers have been wounded in fresh fighting with the Tamil Tiger rebels in the country's east. There has been an outbreak of heavy fighting in eastern Sri Lanka as Tamil Tiger rebels and troops blamed each other for renewed battles.
Both sides say the other started the fighting in the district of Batticaloa. The rebels say that seven policemen were killed in Ampara district.
Elsewhere, three policemen died when they were attacked by Tamil Tigers in the eastern district of Ampara, officials say. But the government says that only three were killed and that it is the rebels who have suffered "severe losses".
Government forces and rebels have frequently clashed on land and at sea this year despite a 2002 ceasefire. Meanwhile there are unconfirmed reports that the rebels have also killed seven commandoes in a separate clash near the eastern town of Batticaloa.
'Classic attack' No end in sight
The rebels say Thursday's fighting is going on with government forces near the rebel-held town of Vakarai in the east. He had no information on any casualties. The BBC's Dumeetha Luthra in Colombo says that both the government and the Tigers have now developed a language for the regular clashes along their front lines.
"There is an intense confrontation going on," rebel military spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiraiyan told Reuters news agency. Each accuses the other of starting the fighting - both say they only act defensively.
"They [the soldiers] are moving with tanks and armoured personnel carriers towards our forward defence line. They are trying to come into our territory." Our correspondent says that in this undeclared war the only verifiable truth is that the violence is escalating with no end in sight - and civilians are the ones caught in the middle.
A Sri Lanka military spokesman said the fighting had been triggered off by a rebel offensive. The government blames the Tigers for advancing to the Sri Lankan forward defence lines in Vakarai in Batticaloa district.
"They [rebels] launched a classic, conventional attack on our troops at dawn today and we fought back and managed to force them to retreat, Maj Upali Rajapakse said. They say that "dozens" of rebels have been killed in the most recent fighting, in which the military deployed artillery backed by air support in the north and east.
"We believe our attacks have inflicted heavy [rebel] casualties," he said. Deadlocked
On Monday, Sri Lanka announced it would temporarily open the main road to the northern Jaffna peninsula to allow supplies to reach 500,000 civilians trapped by fighting. The military says that the rebels were pushed back, but they have denied claims that they moved into no-man's land.
Peace talks broke down last month in Geneva. The rebels says their positions in the east have come under concerted attack form the army using tanks and armoured personnel carriers.
Violence has claimed more than 3,000 lives since the end of last year, the government says, although the rebels dispute the number of their fighters killed. The military say the rebels have sustained heavy casualties
Despite the bloodshed, both sides maintain that they are committed to the ceasefire, which now exists only in name. In a separate incident, the government says that three "home guards" - civilians who have been armed to help the security forces - were killed in a rebel raid on a camp in Kabithigollewa in the north.
Most observers believe they were brought to the failed peace talks last month only as a result of international pressure. More than 3,000 people have been killed in the past year of fighting, the government says.
About 65,000 people were killed in fighting before the 2002 truce was agreed. Our correspondent says that although on paper a ceasefire still exists, it has no existence in reality.
Peace talks remain deadlocked, and more than 200,000 people have been displaced.
The rebels want a homeland for minority Tamils in the north and east. They say Tamils have been discriminated against by the island's Sinhalese majority.The rebels want a homeland for minority Tamils in the north and east. They say Tamils have been discriminated against by the island's Sinhalese majority.